The Socio-Cultural Roots of Religious Moderation in Indonesia: A Case Study of Palembang and Lampung, Southern Sumatra

Abstract

This article examines the behavior of religious moderation in Indonesia, concerning local wisdom, social, cultural, and spiritual traditions.  A phenomenological approach utilizing Parsons' structural functionalism theory identifies two generic concepts of structural functionalism: the system, function, and culture. These concepts facilitate interactions between actors and personalities, as well as unifying social systems. Culture can and does act as a component of other systemother systemss.  The central argument in this article is  that the concept of religious moderation, as observed in Palembang and other regions of southern Sumatra, including Lampung, Indonesia, is not a novel phenomenon in religious studies. It can be traced back to Robert Bellah's work on civil religion. Bellah's conceptualization makes it clear that several factors contribute to the formation of religious moderation. These include traditions based on local wisdom, religious symbols, and state commitments.