CRCS Newsletter - January 2021

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Indonesian Pluralities in cooperation with Yayasan Cahaya Guru will launch two short-films next week; one shows various expressions of religious acculturation and the other concerns how religion empowers environmental conservation. These films are part of the project to accompany high school students while #StudyingAtHome. Read also, as usual, students’ essays reflecting on what they have learned in CRCS classes.

Being religious across cultures

By being cultural, religion finds expression with minimum resistance; while at the same time, by being imbued with religious values, cultural expressions tend to be better preserved. This third film of the #StudyingAtHome project shows varying religious acculturation though traditional dances and clothing.

Spirituality and environmental conservation

Although religious followers have contributed to the ongoing ecological crises, religion also has great potential to drive its adherents to resist ecological degradation. This fourth film of the #StudyingAtHome project highlights how both world and indigenous religions enforce efforts for environmental conservation.

Film launching on Feb 4

The third and fourth films of the #StudyingAtHome project will be launched and discussed on Thursday, Feb 4, at 14.30 Western Indonesian Time, via Zoom and broadcasted on CRCS YouTube channel. Quota is available up to 300 participants. For each film, there are both teachings materials and reading companions on the Indonesian Pluralities website.

Unfinished Indonesia screening offer

Indonesian Pluralities’ third film Unfinished Indonesia is now available for communities in Indonesia interested to screen and discuss it. We plan to publish the film on our YouTube channel in mid-February. There is a reading companion as well on the Indonesian Pluralities website that can serve as discussion material.

Traders, farmers, and the Padri movement in Minangkabau

Unlike the ‘race theory’ explaining Islamization in the Archipelago as a continuation of the Muslim-Christian rivalries since the crusade era, Islamization in Minangkabau had its own peculiarities: Islam spread from Muslim traders on the coast, to tarekat proliferation in rural peasant communities, to the emergence of the Padri movement.

Latour on science, modernity, and ecology

For Latour, to understand science we need an anthropology of science. He argues science is less about discovery of something hidden ‘there’ and more about an invention, which is when scientists construct the object being studied. What we have called nature is actually what natural science says.

Pesantren, revolution, and Javanese youth

Most studies on the history of the Indonesian revolution tend to focus on the role of the political elites or the international influence. This explanation ignores the socio-political context typical of the Japanese occupation era. Ben Anderson in his dissertation highlighted the role of youth from the pesantren community in driving the revolution.

Religion and ecology in India's Chipko movement

Before ecology was theorized, indigenous communities were groups that translated ecological awareness in everyday practices. In fact, it has been deeply embedded in their traditional beliefs and has driven resistance against nature destroyers. A prominent example is India's Chipko movement.

Buddhists seeeking recognition in Indonesia

Buddhism was a dominant power during the Majapahit era which then receded with the proliferation of Islam. It experienced a revival thanks to the theosophical community, but was not recognized as a religion during the early post-independence era. Buddhism only became one of the 'recognized' religions by the state after arguing for its compatibility with Pancasila.

CRCS Newsletter - January 2021

The Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS) is a Master's Degree program in Religious Studies and a research center at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).

Gedung Sekolah Pascasarjana UGM Floors 3 & 4
Jl. Teknika Utara, Pogung, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 55281
Telephone: + 62274-544976. Email: crcs@ugm.ac.id
Website: crcs.ugm.ac.id

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Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS), Universitas Gadjah Mada · Gedung Sekolah Pascasarjana UGM Lantai III – IV, Jalan Teknika Utara, Pogung · Yogyakarta 55281 · Indonesia