Strengthening religious moderatism through the traditional authority of kiai in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to strengthen religious moderatism through the traditional authority of kiai. The state’s structural strengthening of religious moderatism only reached Muslim communities in urban areas, while the majority of Indonesian Muslims live in rural areas. A qualitative method was utilized for data collection, through observation, interviews, and documentation techniques in order to provide a descriptive-critical analysis. Consequently, the success of promoting religious moderatism in rural areas was achieved by combining the state’s efforts, which have hitherto highlighted the structural approach with that of culture, as exemplified by traditional kiai. It was discovered that the traditional authority of kiai was a determining factor in promoting religious moderatism.