REPORTS & ESSAYS

Report 1: "The Imam and the Pastor” public lecture: Religions generate peace
Report 2: Institutionalizing Interfaith Mediation: What, Why, and How?
Report 3: The institutionalization of peacebuilding in Mindanao
Report 4: The institutionalization of peacebulding in Maluku
Report 5: A reflection on the interfaith mediation workshop

In memoriam of the renowned political scientist Alfred Stepan, we have translated Ahmet Kuru’s tribute essay for him into Indonesian. Stepan’s works have been studied in CRCS courses on religion, state, and society, especially his idea of “twin toleration” and his theory that to be democratic, a state does not necessarily need to be secular. (Indonesian)

Over the last decade, Indonesia's largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has become a staunch supporter of Pancasila. The organization used the theme “Upholding Pancasila” this year for its Santri (Islamic boarding school student) Day celebrations. CRCS staff member Azis Anwar writes about the dynamic history of NU’s rejection and acceptance of Pancasila as the state foundation. (Indonesian)

It has become fashionable over the past century to affirm what the Dalai Lama once said that “the essential message of all religions is very much the same.” But in his 2010 book, God is Not One, Stephen Prothero argues that this sort of conventional wisdom is “disrespectful and untrue”. CRCS student Ira Chuarsa considers Prothero's claim in this book review.

Challenging the common understanding that Islam is a law-oriented religion, Dr. Haidar Bagir delivered his presentation at the CRCS-ICRS Wednesday Forum, calling for a renewed understanding of Islam as a religion of love. CRCS student Afifur Rochman Sya'rani writes the report of this talk.

In her lecture for the Wednesday Forum, Maria “Deng” Giguiento discussed the need for a paradigm shift on what should be at the center of security concerns: from defeating the enemy to peace and stability; from national security to human security. In her talk, reported by CRCS student Trie Yunita Sari, she argued for why the proper focus for security should be individuals.

Is the Christianity criticized by the Quran the same as the Christianity embraced by mainstream Christians today? Answering this question, Mun’im Sirry from the University of Notre Dame argues that the Quran develops its own Christianity in his presentation at the Wednesday Forum, reported by CRCS student Anang Alfian.

 EVENTS

CRCS-ICRS Wednesday Forum

8 November 2017 - Preparing the Modern World: The Historical and Cultural Significance of the Reformation - Prof Dr Hans-Peter Grosshans

1 November 2017 - Ritual in Disputes: Invention, Authority and Legitimacy in Indonesian Confucianism - Evi Sutrisno

25 October 2017 - Living in a Sacred Cosmos: Indonesia and the Future of Islam - Prof Dr Bernard Adeney-Risakotta

18 October 2017 - Why Do People Attack Stones?: On Jan Assmann and Mnemohistory - Prof Dr E Gerrit Singgih