Evidence of the Vernacularization of Islamic Theological Terms in Javanese Literature in the 19th Century

Abstract

Scholars have long debated whether the relationship between Islam and Javanese culture should be considered syncretism or inculturation. This article analyzes Javanese literature to discuss post-syncretism in Islamic studies. It argues that Javanese literature exemplifies the vernacularization of Islamic theology into Javanese language and discourse. It describes how Islamic theology was used in eight Javanese texts at different historical points in the 19th Century. The leading Islamic theological terms (God, angels, Al-Qur’an, Prophet, and the Last Day) have consistent meanings in the Javanese text. Differences were only found in spelling, pronunciation, and written script that converted Arabic to Javanese and Pegon. Vernacularization functions as a tool for transmitting knowledge while the substance, meaning, and content remain unchanged. Therefore, there is no evidence of syncretism in using these terms. Syncretism may have operated in Javanese culture (e.g., Javanese Islamic rituals), but it does not appear that syncretism has penetrated the realm of theology. Accordingly, future studies on local Islam should explore discursive traditions and how knowledge has been generated alongside the process of Islamization.