Religious Celebrity: The Metamorphosis of Islamic Preachers in Indonesia

Abstract

The article critically discusses the transformation of popular Islamic preachers in Indonesia into religious celebrity. One of the explanations is that the phenomenon of this transformation is a direct result of the increasing using of media technology as a new tool in the dissemination of Islamic discourse. Through the support of mass media technology, these contemporary Islamic preachers are easily obtained a wide audience and simultaneously obtained a public recognition. This article, at least, found two important points related to the exploitation of the media. First, people are able to exploit the media as a tool to disseminate religious discourse.  Second, the media can also exploit religion by making it as commodities to gain a greater advantage.