"Public Religion" and the Pancasila-based State of Indonesia: An Ethical and Sociological Analysis

291 Pages·2006·8.58 MB·English

by  Benyamin Fleming Intan

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“Public Religion” and

the Pancasila-Based

State of Indonesia

An Ethical and Sociological Analysis

BENYAMIN FLEMING INTAN

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ADVANCE PRAISE FOR
“Public Religion” and the Pancasila-

Based State of Indonesia

“The heightened role of religion in the public sphere can become either a
source of violence or a source of reconciliation. Benyamin Fleming
Intan's work offers positive suggestions of how religion can develop as a
transformative and liberating force in Indonesian public affairs.
Undoubtedly this book will make an important contribution to the
contemporary debate about the proper role of religion in Indonesia. I
recommend it highly.”
Muhammad A. S. Hikam, Author o/'Demokrasi dan Civil Society (1996);
Former Minister for Research and Technology, Republic of Indonesia;
Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (2004-2009)
“Benyamin Fleming Intan’s book is an important contribution to the
ongoing discussion about the relation between religion and politics in
Indonesia, specifically on the crucial issue of the meaning of Pancasila."
Franz Magnis-Suseno, S.J., Director of Postgraduate Department.
Driyarkara School of Philosophy, Jakarta
“For more than three decades. Pancasila as an Indonesian state
Weltanschauung has become more rhetoric than practice. Although
Pancasila has been formulated in the Preamble of the Indonesian
Constitution and has been determined as the source of all Indonesian
law, it is still a dead letter. This book analyzes the ongoing problems and
finds the answers to why it has been so difficult to implement.”
J. E. Sahetapy, Chairman of the National Law Commission.
Republic of Indonesia; Former Member of the Indonesian
House of Representatives (1999-2004)
“Public Religion”

and the Pancasila-Based

State of Indonesia
I
american
university
studies
Series VII
Theology and Religion
Vol. 238
PETER LANG
New York • Washington, D.C./Baltimore • Bern
Frankfurt am Main • Berlin • Brussels • Vienna • Oxford
Benyamin Fleming Intan

‘ Public Religion”

and the Pancasila-Based

State of Indonesia

An Ethical and

Sociological Analysis

PETER LANG
New York • Washington, D.C./Baltimore • Bern
Frankfurt am Main • Berlin • Brussels • Vienna • Oxford
Ul
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Intan, Benyamin F. (Benyamin Fleming).
“Public religion" and the Pancasila-based state of Indonesia :
an ethical and sociological analysis / Benyamin Fleming Intan.
p. cm. — (American university studies. Series VII,
Theology and religion; v. 238)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Religion and politics—Indonesia. 2. Pancasila.
3. Civil religion—Indonesia. I. Title. II. Series.
BL65.P7I56 322’. 1’09598—dc22 2004021356
ISBN 0-8204-7603-X
ISSN 0740-0446
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Bibliothek.
Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie"; detailed bibliographic data is available
on the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de/.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability
of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity
of the Council of Library Resources.
© 2006 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway. New York, NY 10006
www.peterlangusa.com
All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.
Printed in Germany
for Jani Hermawan
I
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Foreword by David Hollenbach, S.J. xi
Introduction 1
The Statement of the Issue 1
Aims and Scope of this Study 2
Methodology 3
Organization of this Study 4
Chapter One
Rethinking “Public Religion” and the Theory of Secularization 7
The Importance of “Public Religion” in the Modem World 7
Definitions of Religion 10
Some Remarks on “Public Religion” and the Theory of Secularization 12
“Public Religion” within the Framework of Pancasila 18
Chapter 1ivo
“Public Religion” in Indonesia 31
The Pre-Independence Period: Pancasila as the Solution 31
The Old Order Period: The Distrust between Religion and the State 44
The New Order Period: The Containment and Misuse of Religion
and Its Consequences 50
Chapter Three
The Renewal of Indonesian Islamic Intellectualism and
the “Deprivatization” of Religion 81
Indonesian Islamic Neo-Modernism: The Historical Background
and Its Theological Renewal 82
Neo-Modemism’s Understanding of “Public Religion”
and Its Responses to the Five Principles of Pancasila 99
102
Islam and Civil Society
Islam and Human Rights 107
112
Islam and Nationalism
Islam and Democracy 115
122
Islam and Social Justice
UI
viii
Chapter Four
Interpreting ‘Tublic Religion” from the Perspectives of Indonesian
143
Christian Intellectuals
The Theological Thinking of Indonesian Christian Intellectuals
on the Issue of the Church-State Relationship 144
144
The Protestant Views
158
The Catholic Views
The Christian Understanding of “Public Religion” and Its Responses
172
to the Five Principles of Pancasila
178
Christianity and Civil Society
Christianity and Human Rights 184
189
Christianity and Nationalism
193
Christianity and Democracy
199
Christianity and Social Justice
Chapter Five
Conclusions and Implications 221
The Problem of the Socialization of Pancasila in the Life of Society,
Nation and State 223
“Public Religion” and Its Interpretation of the Five Principles
of Pancasila within the Life of Society, Nation, and State 229
“Public Religion” and Civil Society 229
“Public Religion” and Human Rights 234
“Public Religion” and Nationalism 237
“Public Religion” and Democracy 239
“Public Religion” and Social Justice 242
Bibliography 251
Index 273
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