Expressing political and religious identity: Religion-science relations in Indonesian Muslim Thinkers 1970-2014

Abstract

An attractive phenomenon of Indonesian Islam in 1990s era up to the recent time is an emergence of thought battle within Muslim scholars concerning religon and science. From the struggle, various terms have arisen such as: Islamization of knowledge/science, scientification of Islam, objectification of Islam, compatibility, ayatization or ayatisasi (from Arabic āya [verse, sign] i.e. to find the Qur'ānic āya for every single knowledge/science finding), integration, integration-interconnection, and so forth. According to the typology of Ian Barbour, instead of conflict and independence, religion-science relations in Indonesian Islam are always in the position of integration and dialogue. However, this article focuses on how the discourse of religion-science relations is conducted to express Islamic identity and political become more salient and stronger, particularly within Indonesian urban Muslims. Since the pioneers in 1970s to1980s such as Rasjidi, Moenawar Chalil, Buya Hamka and Syekh Kadirun Yahya, then more academic discourse such as the figures of Hidajat Nataatmaja, Kuntowijoyo, Mulyadhi Kartanegara and Amin Abdullah, to very popular writers of ayatisasi, Islamization of science has--at least three main agendas: the politics to strengthening Muslim identities, the spirit against secularist-Western, and apologetic attitudes as part of the theological campaign. This popular phenomenon shows that Islam is not merely regarded as 'a perfect religion' in terms of ethics, ritual as well as spiritual, but also it is kind of 'Islamic revival', i.e. a politically meaningful term, 'revival of the ummah in all its aspects'.