Wawasan: Jurnal Ilmiah Agama dan Sosial Budaya
Not a member yet
159 research outputs found
Sort by
Eco-theology: Reimagining the image of God in the context of creation and care in Africa
Full text linkAfrica and the rest of the world are at risk due to climate change and ecological crisis. The current severe cold fronts, flooding, and heatwaves sweeping across Africa, particularly Southern Africa, demonstrate that more is to come. The abnormal weather patterns know no seasons. The apparent results include starvation due to poor harvests and loss of homes, property, livestock, and lives due to disruptive rains and heat waves. The impact of climate change is visible in ecological damage. All this calls for a theological discourse that seeks to unpack some ways of caring for creation and the environment to mitigate against the challenges posed by climate change. The critical question is what theological tools the church could use to make meaningful contributions in responding to the challenges of climate change in Africa. Hence, the suggested theological engagements of the image of God about caring for creation. This paper seeks to explore the theology of the image of God, which provides theologians and the church with the basis to respect, protect, and care for the environment. It will discuss how understanding God's image helps the church implement practical ways of environmental care given the current dangers of climate change and ecological crisis in Africa. The paper contributes to the theological discourse of environmental care
Challenging the Gates: Religious Freedom and Access in South Africa's Theology Faculties
Full text linkThe location, acceptance, and tolerance of religious education in public spaces have been fiercely debated since South Africa’s democratic transition in 1994. As a result, South Africa’s constitution now guarantees religious freedom in all public places, including educational institutions. The primary question is, however, how much do these public universities’ theological and religious faculties guarantee that all religious or faith traditions have equal access to their curricula? Simply put, this article examines the theological and religious education programs at universities such as the University of the Free State (UFS), North-West University (NWU), Stellenbosch University (SU), and University of Pretoria (UP) and asks whether they promote justice to the extent that they incorporate all faith traditions into their curricula. Given this, the paper posits that the majority of religious communities are not sufficiently represented in the curricula of South African public universities’ theological and religious faculties. It then advocates, as a practical measure, the establishment of the theological-religious ombudsman to guarantee that students of all faiths have equitable access to theological and religious curricula at South African public universities
Navigating Javanese Womanhood in the Digital Age: Perspectives from Digital Natives and Immigrants
Full text linkTechnological development has significantly changed human social life, especially online social media. In Indonesia, device-based social media users reached 191.4 million in January 2022. This number is still being reduced to several types of social media widely used in Indonesia, such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, based on Data Reportal Research in February 2022. Female social media users could be said to be active on some social media sites. Consumption of content on social media often makes a spectacle a guide for women. Several perspectives on Javanese women, such as sumur-dapur-kasur, macak-masak-manak, swargo nunut, neroko katut, and Konco Wingking, have a positive philosophical meaning by building perceptions through social media. Therefore, this research explores the perspectives and experiences of Javanese women concerning their participation in the digital space. Using the ethnographic approach, a qualitative research strategy, the study involves in-depth observation, active engagement, and interpersonal interactions within a specific cultural group or community. The result of this research is the perspective of more modern Javanese women in a positive perspective and women themselves. In essence, all perspectives on the philosophical values of Javanese women have shifted, including in practice. Javanese women who open themselves to social media can develop their potential with all these perspectives because the opportunity to become more 'modern' lies in the woman's decision
Seeking Baraka: Transformation of Ngaji from Virtual to Conventional among Gen-Xers
Full text linkThis study aims to reveal the transformation of ngaji practices among Generation X audiences, specifically followers of Gus Baha, from virtual to conventional formats. The rapid development of the internet and social media has significantly influenced religious practices, including the proliferation of virtual ngaji. However, despite the convenience of digital platforms, conventional ngaji remains prevalent. This research employs fieldwork and qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and observations, to investigate why individuals prefer attending traditional ngaji sessions despite the availability of virtual alternatives. The study finds that the cultural concepts of baraka (blessing) and sanad (chain of transmission) are crucial motivators for followers to seek in-person ngaji. Additionally, the research identifies the dual impact of unintended online ngaji—while it extends the reach of Gus Baha’s teachings and bolsters his religious authority, it also poses risks due to the potential for misinterpretation and unauthorized dissemination of content. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics between digital and conventional religious practices and highlights the enduring significance of direct spiritual engagement in contemporary Muslim communities
Religious Conversion among Indonesian-Chinese Celebrities
Full text linkReligious conversion among Chinese citizens, including among artists of Chinese descent, is taking place amidst the prejudiced relationship between the Muslim natives and those of Chinese descent. Of course, this is interesting to understand. This research aims to examine the motives of religious conversion among celebrities of Indonesian-Chinese descent, especially non-Muslims to be a Muslim through Lewis Rambo's theory of Understanding Religious Conversion and its stages. This research uses qualitative methods with social media, especially YouTube, and leading and credible online news as sources of information and data. A number of individual cases representing a particular pattern are selected for analysis using strict qualitative analysis techniques. This research found 3 factors (personal, social, and Allah’s guidance) that motivated individuals of Chinese-Indonesian descent to make decisions about converting religions from non-Muslim to Muslim, namely personal, social, and guidance from Allah. In addition, this research also found that religious conversion experienced by individuals not only had an impact on individual change but also had an impact on changes in social relations in their daily lives. This study concludes that religious conversion among Chinese artists who are the subject of the study takes place through a long process, not for a moment or a short process
Preserving Maccera Tasi of Bugis Migrants in Bandar Lampung: The Transformation of Cultural Identity
Full text linkThis research is due to transmigration and cultural adaptation, where the movement of the Bugis community to Bandar Lampung required them to adapt their cultural traditions and practices to the new environment. This research is essential for uncovering cultural dynamics and the assimilation process and providing academic contributions and benefits to the Bugis community in Bandar Lampung. This research examines a cultural tradition, Maccera Tasi (sea alms ceremony), performed by the Bugis community in Bandar Lampung. Specifically, this study investigates whether this tradition has undergone a transformation and its role in preserving the Bugis cultural identity in diverse environments. This research employs a qualitative method with field research involving observation and interviews and an anthropological diffusion theory approach. The research results show that Maccera Tasi has experienced changes in the land of Lampung, such as implementation practices, meaning and symbolism, prayers and rituals, and socio-economic changes. Maccera Tasi is also the identity of the Bugis people who live in Bandar Lampung, so as an overseas ethnic minority, they can introduce the culture of sea parties to the broader community. The main findings show that this tradition is experiencing a process of Islamisation, integrating Islamic prayers and symbols with Islamic teachings. This study highlights the importance of understanding local context and external influences in cultural change and using diffusion theory to analyse the spread of cultural elements. This transformation allows overseas Bugis communities to maintain their cultural identity, strengthen communities and preserve cultural heritage
Muslim Community Dramaturgy Through Ritual Cross-Religious in Moluccas, Indonesia
Full text linkOn December 2, 2018, Immanuel Church of GPM Amahusu Klasis in Moluccas, Indonesia, hosted a cross-religious ritual involving the Muslim and Christian communities. The "worship orang basudara" (worship of brothers) ritual took place during the first advent week, with participation from Tial Village and Laha Village (Muslim community) and Amahusu Village and Hatalai Village (Christian community). The ritual incorporated religious symbols such as the call to prayer, recitation of the Rawi Barzani, lighting one of four candles, and singing hymns. This article examines how the social interaction process manages the frontstage and backstage impressions displayed by the Muslim community after participating in the ritual. Data were collected from fifteen individuals through participant observation and interviews, using a qualitative approach based on a subjective interpretive paradigm from a dramaturgical perspective. The findings reveal that the Muslim community involved in the ritual manages impressions through self-repentance, supplication to Allah SWT, and mutual acceptance with the Christian community in social contexts. After the ritual, the Muslim community engages in frontstage social interactions with fellow involved Muslims, non-involved families (negation families), non-involved communities (exclusion communities), religious organisations, and government institutions. Backstage actions include self-introspection (self-evaluation of engagement), repentance (admission of guilt), and prayer (asking for help). This article contributes to understanding the subjective experiences of Muslim communities following ritual involvement, particularly in managing backstage impressions. It suggests that Muslim-Christian communities can overcome disharmony through mutual acceptance of religious differences, promoting peace through contemporary human values
Packaging Fatwa in the Post Truth Era: MUI Fatwa Contest Facing New Religious Authority
Full text linkIndonesia has a federation organization that brings together several Islamic organizations. This organization is known as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). One of his duties is to issue Islamic legal fatwas to serve as guidelines for the Muslim community. However, on a practical level, quite a few fatwas give rise to polemics. In several cases of intolerance and mobilization of political interests, MUI fatwas are often used as a means of legitimation. This article wants to discuss the contestation of the MUI fatwa with the dynamics of Islamic thought in Indonesia in the context of the digital era. Data was obtained from online news documents regarding MUI fatwas in several cases with social problems. This research found that the MUI fatwa polemic arose due to the need to consider Indonesia's social setting and political conditions. Hence, Islamic law products were prone to being misused and misunderstood. This study also argues that the MUI authorities must package the fatwa by prioritizing cultural diversity, social impacts, and political tensions at that time. Thus, the MUI fatwa must be formulated apart from being based on scientific grounds and supported by good online media infrastructure. So they will be better able to contest with the new religious authority in the post-truth era. Good fatwa packaging via social media is also oriented towards finding substantial values in responding to community problems based on the principle of uniting the community (tauhid al-ummah) and protecting the community (himayat al-ummah)
Mosque Management in Urban City: Bargaining between the Sacred and the Social Challenges
Full text linkA mosque serves as a pivotal element in the structure of a Muslim community. The function of a mosque extends beyond its religious capacity as a place for worship, playing a vital role in addressing the social problems that the community faces. To explore this, the present study focuses on the strategy employed by Masjid Raya Bandung to manage and overcome various social problems around its vicinity. Utilising a descriptive-analytical approach, the present study aims to depict the existing social phenomena around Masjid Raya Bandung (The Grand Mosque of Bandung) in the Province of West Java, Indonesia, with specific research variables. Non-documentary data is obtained through participant observation and in-depth interviews. Located in the city's heart, across the city hall, a place of public gathering, the Grand Mosque of Bandung operates within a business and materialistic environment. The faced challenges include sanitation issues, unregulated street vendors tied to an informal economy, prevalent crime, covert prostitution in the vicinity, and escalating consumerism from nearby shopping centres. The study underscores the mosque as not only a spiritual oasis but also a socio-religious institution actively participating in providing solutions for various social issues within its urban setting. It is confirmed that the mosque's function is not only for ritual things but also for social activities in urban Islamic societies, particularly in managing and overcoming various social problems that surround the mosque.Â
Subject and Scripture: Exploring Existential Moments in the Ordinary Reading of Scripture
Full text linkScripture reading is not only a means of extracting meaning from sacred texts, but also a way to attain certain spiritual experiences. In the Islamic tradition, reading the scriptural text, such as the holy Quran, can lead readers to certain spiritual experiences that may fundamentally alter their awareness and understanding of reality. These experiences are accessible not only to readers with certain modalities but also to ordinary readers. This study analyses how ordinary readers can experience these existential moments. Data was collected through a literature review and documentation of the experiences of ordinary readers who have had spiritual-existential moments while reading scripture (the holy Quran). Data was analysed using Heidegger’s phenomenological hermeneutics. The results of the study indicate that readers of scripture, such as the holy Quran, have the same potential to experience existential moments that can alter their awareness and perspective on the meaning of life. These existential moments are moments of revelation of the meaning and divine guidance within oneself, allowing the reader to gain spiritual experience. The nature of scripture and the role of God as the author who is continuously present throughout the reading process allows even ordinary readers to experience existential moments that can alter their awareness and their way of being in the world