Islam in Indonesia: Contrasting Images and Interpretations(ICAS Publications series)

While Muslims in Indonesia have begun to turn towards a strict adherence to Islam, the reality of the socio-religious environment is much more complicated than a simple shift towards fundamentalism. In this volume, contributors explore the multifaceted role of Islam in Indonesia from a variety of different perspectives, drawing on carefully compiled case studies. Topics covered include religious education, the increasing number of Muslim feminists in Indonesia, the role of Indonesia in the greater Muslim world, social activism and the middle class, and the interaction between Muslim radio and religious identity.

Table of Contents:
Introduction, 1 Comparing different streams of Islam Wrestling with words and definitions, 2 Defining Indonesian Islam An examination of the construction of the national Islamic identity of traditionalist and modernist Muslims, 3 Indonesia in the global scheme of Islamic things Sustaining the virtuous circle of education, associations and democracy, 4 Distinguishing Indonesian Islam Some lessons to learn,65 Islam, state and society in democratising Indonesia A historical reflection, 6 The politics of piety in the Pondok Pesantren Khusus Waria Al-Fattah Senin-Kamis Yogyakarta Negotiating the Islamic religious embodiment, 7 The Indonesian Muslim feminist reinterpretation of inheritance, 8 Managing familial issues Unique features of legal reform in Indonesia, 9 A new generation of feminists within traditional Islam An Indonesian exception, 10 Religious pluralism and contested religious authority in contemporary Indonesian Islam, 11 Islam and humanitarian affairs The middle class and new patterns of social activism, 12 Dakwah radio in Surakarta A contest for Islamic identity, 13 Muslim fundamentalism in educational institutions A case study of Rohani Islam in high schools in Cirebon, 14 Majlis Tafsir Al-Qur’an and its struggle for Islamic reformism, Glossary, About the editors and contributors, Bibliography, Index.

About the Author :
Jajat Burhanudin is the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Islam and Society, an independent research center at the State Islamic University (UIN) in Jakarta. Kees van Dijk is emeritus professor of the history of modern Islam in Indonesia at Leiden University.

Review :
"Contrary to Islam in many other countries, Islam in Indonesia has always had the reputation of being moderate and tolerant. This timely book addresses the issue of this alleged special nature of Indonesian Islam from a theoretical perspective, and presents case studies which both confirm as well as contradict this liberal image, thus showing the complexity of Islam in this country with more than 200 million Muslim inhabitants." -- Dr. Nico J.G. Kaptein, Leiden Institute for Area Studies, Leiden University