Conservative Turn? Religion, State and Conflict in Indonesia

 Growing religious intolerance and conflict in Indonesia have sparked a scholarly debate about the role of religion, especially Islam, in a largely secular modern state, and how it influences relations both between and within majority and minority faith communities in the process of democratic consolidation. This essay critically evaluates scholarly works that are broadly concerned with religious laws (Shari’a) and society, inter-faith relations and religious conflict in order to contribute to the debate as well as gain a better empirical understanding of the deteriorating relations between Muslim and other minority communities in religiously divided democracies such as Indonesia. It finds that scholars tend to emphasize the role of radical Islamism, religious parties or Christian proselytization and penetration to explain the expansion of pro-Islam (Shari’a) movements and/or religious intolerance and conflict. However, the essay suggests that these factors do not adequately account for the intriguing variation that has emerged within and among provinces across the archipelago, requiring us to look more closely—and comparatively—into social and political dynamics at the district level in the context of politicized religion, fragmented religious authority, and decentralized state power.