Religion in Indonesia

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Religion in Indonesia (2022)[1]

  Islam (87.02%)
  Protestantism (7.43%)
  Roman Catholic (3.06%)
  Hinduism (1.69%)
  Buddhism (0.73%)
  Folk/Other (0.04%)
  Confucianism (0.03%)
Province of Indonesia

Several different religions are practised in Indonesia.

Sharia law and is notorious for its discriminatory practices towards religious and sexual minorities.[10] There are also Islamic fundamentalist movements in several parts of the country with overwhelming Muslim majorities.[11]

Several different religions are practised in the country, and their collective influence on the country's political, economic and cultural life is significant. Despite constitutionally guaranteeing freedom of religion,

aliran kepercayaan) - ethnic religions with new religious movements - must be recognised and included in an Indonesian identity card (KTP).[15][16] Based on data collected by the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), there are about 245 unofficial religions in Indonesia.[17]

From 1975 to 2017, Indonesian law mandated that its citizens possess an

Confucians and 0.04% others.[1]

History

The Maritime Silk Road, connecting India and Indonesia

Until the beginning of CE, the peoples of Indonesia followed the local tribal Austronesian and Papuan ethnic religions and traditions.[22]

Historically, immigration from the Indian subcontinent, mainland China, Portugal, the Arab world, and the Netherlands has been a significant contributor to the diversity of religion and culture within the archipelago.[23] However, these aspects have changed due to some modifications made to suit the Indonesian culture.

The ancient Prambanan Hindu temple built in the 9th century, Java

Before the arrival of the

Abrahamic religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, the prevalent religions in the region were the Indian religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. They were brought to the archipelago around the second and fourth centuries, respectively, when Indian traders arrived on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi, and brought their religion.[24] The Shaivite sect of Hinduism started to develop in Java in the fifth century CE. Hinduism had a decisive influence on the ideology of the one-man rule of the Raja, and was the dominant religion in Indonesia before the arrival of Islam.[25] The traders also established Buddhism which developed further in the following century and several Hindu and Buddhist-influenced kingdoms were established, such as Kutai, Srivijaya, Majapahit, and Shailendra. The world's largest Buddhist monument, Borobudur, was built by Shailendra and around the same time, the Hindu monument Prambanan was also built. The peak of Hindu-Javanese civilisation was the Majapahit empire in the fourteenth century, and is described as a 'Golden Age' in Indonesian history.[26]

Pajang, Mataram and Banten. By the end of the fifteenth century, 20 Islam-based kingdoms had been established, reflecting the domination of Islam in Indonesia.[28]

The

Torajans on Sulawesi. Parts of Sumatra were also targeted, most notably the Batak people who are predominantly Protestant today.[31]

The Sukarno era was characterised by a "distrust" between religion and the state;[32] an example of this was the passing of a presidential edict in late January 1965 (still completely in force today and will be partially repealed starting 2026) which alongside attempting to ban religious blasphemy also explicitly declared in its explanatory memorandum that:[13]

The religions professed by citizens in Indonesia are: Islam, Christianity [Protestantism], Catholic, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Kong Fuzi (Confucianism).

This can be proved in the history of development of Religions in Indonesia. Because these 6 religions are the religions that are professed by almost all Indonesian citizens, thus unless they received guarantees as stated in article 29 clause 2 of the Constitution, they also receive aid and security [...]

This does not mean other religions, such as: Jew [Judaism], Zarasustrian [sic, should be Zoroastrian], Shinto, Taoism are banned in Indonesia. They are given full guarantee as granted by article 29 clause 2 [of the Constitution] and they are free to develop, as long as they don't violate the terms of this regulation and other regulations.

For spiritual bodies/streams, the Government attempts to direct them to a healthy viewpoint and to the direction of the Belief of the One and Only God. This is as stated by the Resolutions of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly Number II/MPRS/1960 [on the Broad Outlines of the First Stage National Overall Planned Development Plan 1961–1969], appendix A, segment I, number 6.

There were also significant changes to the relationship during the

atheists.[33] As a result, citizens were required to carry personal identification cards indicating their religion. The policy resulted in a mass conversion, with most to Catholicism and Protestantism. Chinese Indonesians, who were mostly Confucianists, also faced similar circumstances. Because Confucianism was not one of the state-recognised religions, many converted to Christianity.[34]

Majority religions

Islam

Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, Aceh
regency of Indonesia

Sunni Islam

The history of

Maulana Malik Ibrahim (also known as Sunan Gresik, originally from Samarkand, at the time part of the Persian empire) in Sumatra and Java and Admiral Zheng He (also known as Cheng Ho, from China) in north Java, as well as campaigns led by sultans that targeted Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms and various communities, with each trying to carve out a region or island for control. Four diverse and contentious sultanates emerged in northern and southern Sumatra, west and central Java, and southern Kalimantan. The sultans declared Islam as a state religion and pursued war against each other as well as the Hindus and other non-Muslim infidels.[28]

Indonesian Muslim men wearing songkok and sarong standing in salah
Perlon Unggahan — a slametan ritual for ancestors of Javanese Muslims in Pekuncen, Banyumas on last Friday before Ramadan

Subsequently, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, animist communities and unbelievers bought peace by agreeing to pay jizya tax to a Muslim ruler, while others began adopting Islam to escape the tax.[37] Islam in Indonesia is in many cases less meticulously practised in comparison to Islam in the Middle East. In some regions, people retained and continued their old beliefs. They adopted a syncretic version of Islam, [38] while others left and concentrated as communities in islands that they could defend, for example, Hindus of western Java moved to Bali and neighbouring small islands.[39] While this period of religious conflict and inter-Sultanate warfare was unfolding, and new power centres were attempting to consolidate regions under their control, European powers arrived.[39] The archipelago was soon dominated by the Dutch empire, which helped prevent inter-religious conflict, and slowly began the process of excavating, preserving and understanding the archipelago's ancient Hindu and Buddhist period, particularly in Java and the western islands.[40]

The vast majority of Indonesian Muslims (about 99%) practice

Shafi‘i school. Smaller numbers follow other schools (madhhabs),[20][41] and the Salafi movement.[42] The main divisions of Islam in Indonesia are traditionalism and modernism. Both are supported by Indonesia's two largest Islamic civil society groups Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, respectively.[43] the orders of Sufism are considered essential.[44]

Concerning the political expansion of Islam after the resignation of Suharto, political parties were again permitted to declare an ideology other than Pancasila. Several Islamist parties formed with Sharia as their ideology and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) came in sixth place in the 1999 elections. However, in 2009 elections, the PBB ranked only 10th, while parties characterised by moderate and tolerant Islamic interpretations had more significant success, such as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) coming in 4th with nearly 8% of total votes.[45]

Shia Islam

Hadhrami people.[48] The main organisation is "Ikatan Jamaah Ahlulbait Indonesia" (IJABI).[49]

Ahmadiyya

The earliest history of

Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam, known as Gerakan Ahmadiyah-Lahore Indonesia (GAI) in Indonesia, has existed in Java since 1924 and had only 708 members in the 1980s.[50]

Christianity

The government officially recognises the two main

Catholicism and Protestantism
, as two separate religions.

Catholicism

Statue of Mary, Mother of All Tribes in Jakarta Cathedral
regency of Indonesia

Governors of the Dutch East Indies. After the VOC collapsed and with the legalisation of Catholicism in the Netherlands starting around 1800, Dutch Catholic clergy predominated until after Indonesia's independence.[52][53] In present-day Flores, the royal house of Larantuka formed the only native Catholic kingdom in Southeast Asia around the 16th century, with the first king named Lorenzo.[54]

Other than Flores,

Frans van Lith, a priest from the Netherlands came to Muntilan in 1896. Initially, his effort did not produce a satisfying result until 1904 when four Javanese chiefs from Kalibawang region asked him to give them education in the religion. On 15 December 1904, a group of 178 Javanese were baptised at Semagung, Muntilan, district Magelang, Central Java, near the border of the Special Region of Yogyakarta.[55]

As of 2022[update], 3.06% of Indonesians are Catholics, nearly half the number of Protestants at 7.43%.[1] The practitioners mostly live in West Kalimantan, Papua and East Nusa Tenggara. The province of East Nusa Tenggara, where the island of Flores and West Timor are located, is the only province in Indonesia where Catholics are the majority (about 54.14% of the total population). However, Catholics may be found in smaller numbers spread throughout the country. In Java, next to Javanese, Catholicism also spread to Chinese Indonesians.[52][56] In the present day, Catholic traditions close to Easter days remain, locally known as Semana Santa. It involves a procession carrying statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary (locally referred to as Tuan Ana and Tuan Ma respectively) to a local beach, then to Cathedral of the Queen of the Rosary, the Diocese of Larantuka, Flores.[57]

Protestantism

Church in Bukit Doa Getsemane Sanggam, Unjur, Samosir, North Sumatra
regency of Indonesia

Calvinist and Lutheran missionary efforts during the country's colonial period.[58] The Dutch Reformed Church was long at the forefront in introducing Christianity to native peoples and was later joined by other Reformed churches that separated from it during the 19th century.[52] The VOC regulated the missionary work so it could serve its own interests and restricted it to the eastern part of the Indonesian archipelago.[59] Although these two branches are the most common, a multitude of other denominations can be found elsewhere in Indonesia.[60]

Lutheran missionary Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen who is known as the apostle to the Batak people and started the Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP), [61][62][60] which is the largest Lutheran church in Asia.[63]

Anglicanism is present in Indonesia since 1819, during the British Invasion of Java, when church services were provided towards interdenominational English speaking communities in Java.[64] In 1822, Singaporean-based London Missionary Society purchased a land in Batavia (now Jakarta) and in 1829 constructed of what is now known as All Saints Church.[64][65] The organization become affiliated with Church of England and is an autonomous part of Anglican Communion since 1857 [66] and is oldest English-speaking institutions in Indonesia.[67] In 1993, Anglican Diocese of Singapore established "Deanery of Indonesia".[68] In 1998, Gereja Anglikan Indonesia (lit. Anglican Church of Indonesia) was founded to provide better services to native Indonesians. As of 2022, the congregation is present in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Batam, Medan, Nunukan, Pontianak, Ambon, and Tarakan.[69]

Orthodoxy

Eastern Christianity operates in Indonesia under the label "Kristen" together with Protestants.

Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia),[70] and then comes under the unified spiritual leadership of the Diocese of Singapore (Russian Orthodox Church)
.

In addition, there are communities of

Coptic Orthodox Church (Indonesian: Gereja Kristen Ortodoks Koptik di Indonesia).[71]

Other Christians

Other branches of Christianity also exists in Indonesia, such as; Mormonism (since 1969) [72] and Jehovah's Witnesses (since 1930).[73] Previously banned due to the refusal to salute Indonesian flags and refusal to participate in politics,[73] Jehovah's Witness was officially registered to the Ministry of Religious Affairs in March 2002.[73] Meanwhile for Mormonism, Russell M. Nelson, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) visited Vice Presidential Palace of Indonesia in November 2019, where he officially met Ma'ruf Amin, the Vice President of Indonesia.[74]

Chinese Indonesians are also a significant part of the Protestant population, scattered throughout Indonesia with the majority concentrated in major urban areas. In 2000, approximately 35% of ethnic Chinese were Christian, and there is a continuous increase among the younger generation. In some parts of the country, entire

Salvation Army (Bala Keselamatan) depending on the success of missionary activity.[60]

Indonesia has three Protestant-majority provinces,

[60]

The Communion of Churches in Indonesia is the sole umbrella for most Protestant churches.[76]

Hinduism

The Mother Temple of Besakih, on the slopes of Mount Agung in eastern Bali, is the most important, the largest and holiest temple of the Balinese Hindus.
regency of Indonesia

Hindu culture and religion arrived in the archipelago around the 2nd century CE, which later formed the basis of several Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms such as Kutai, Mataram, and Majapahit. Around 130, a Sundanese kingdom named Salakanagara emerged in western Java. It was the first historically recorded Indianised kingdom in the archipelago, created by an Indian trader following marriage to a local Sundanese princess.[77] The largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, Prambanan, was built during the Majapahit kingdom by the Sanjaya dynasty. The kingdom existed until the 16th century when Islamic empires began to develop, this period known as the Hindu-Indonesian period.[78]

Hinduism in Indonesia takes on a distinct tone from other parts of the world.

scriptures, laws and beliefs.[80][82] In many areas on Java, Hinduism and Islam have heavily influenced each other, in part resulting in Abangan and Kejawèn (Kebatinan) traditions.[83]

According to the 2018 data, Hindus numbered 4.69 million (1.69% of Indonesians).

Greater Jakarta area. The Tamil Indonesians in Medan represents another important concentration of Hindus.[18]

There are

There are also some international

Buddhism

regency of Indonesia
Buddha statue at Borobudur temple, Magelang, Central Java

Buddhism is the second oldest religion in Indonesia, arriving around the sixth century. The history of Buddhism in Indonesia is closely related to that of Hinduism, as some empires based on Buddhist culture were established around the same period. The Indonesian archipelago has witnessed the rise and fall of powerful Buddhist empires such as Shailendra dynasty, Srivijaya and Mataram Empires. The arrival of Buddhism was started with trading activities that began in the early first century on the Silk Road between Indonesia and India. According to some Chinese sources, a Chinese monk on his journey to India, witnessed the powerful maritime empire of Srivijaya based in Sumatra. The empire also served as a Buddhist learning centre in the region. Some historical heritage monuments can be found in Indonesia, including the Borobudur Temple in Yogyakarta and statues or prasasti (inscriptions) from the earlier history of Buddhist empires.[90]

Following the downfall of President Sukarno in the mid-1960s and the mandatory policy of having a religion,[91] founder of Perbuddhi (Indonesian Buddhists Organisation), Bhikku Ashin Jinarakkhita, proposed that there was a single supreme deity, Sanghyang Adi Buddha. He was also backed up with the history behind the Indonesian version of Buddhism in ancient Javanese texts, and the shape of the Borobudur Temple.[92]

According to the 2018 data, roughly 0.73% of Indonesians are Buddhists, which takes up about 2 million people.[1] Most Buddhists are concentrated in Jakarta, although other provinces such as Riau, North Sumatra and West Kalimantan also have a significant number of practitioners. However, the figures are likely higher, since practitioners of Confucianism and Taoism, the latter of which is not considered an official religion, referred to themselves as Buddhists on the census. Today, most Buddhists are Chinese Indonesians and, to a lesser extent, among the Javanese and Balinese.[citation needed] Among the Indonesian Buddhists, the major Buddhist schools are Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Theravada. Most Chinese Indonesians follow a syncretic combination of Chinese beliefs, such as the three teachings (Tridharma) and Yiguandao (Maytreya).[93]

Confucianism

regency of Indonesia
A Chinese temple of Sanggar Agung, in Surabaya, East Java

Confucianism originated in China and was brought to Indonesia by Chinese merchants as early as the 3rd century AD. Unlike other religions, Confucianism evolved more into loose individual practices and belief in the code of conduct, rather than a well-organised community with a sound theology—akin to a way of life or social movement than a religion. It was not until the early 1900s that Confucianists formed an organisation, called Khong Kauw Hwe (THHK) in Batavia.[94][95][96]

After the Indonesian independence in 1945, Confucianism was affected by several political conflicts. In 1965, Sukarno issued Presidential Decree No. 1/Pn.Ps/1965, recognising that six religions are embraced by the Indonesian people, including Confucianism. In 1961, the Association of Khung Chiao Hui Indonesia (PKCHI) (now the Supreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia) had declared that Confucianism is a religion and Confucius is their prophet.[97][96]

During the

Chinese Indonesians had a large amount of wealth and power, despite consisting only 3% of the population.[97][96]

In 1969, Statute No. 5/1969 was passed, restoring the official total of six religions. However, it was not always put into practice. In 1978, the Minister of Home Affairs issued a directive asserting there are only five religions, excluding Confucianism. On 27 January 1979, a presidential cabinet meeting decided that Confucianism is not a religion. Another Minister of Home Affairs directive in 1990 re-iterated the total of five official religions in Indonesia.[97][96] Therefore, the status of Confucianism during the New Order regime was never clear. De jure, there were conflicting laws, because higher laws permitted Confucianism, but lower ones did not recognise it. De facto, Confucianists were not recognised by the government, and they were forced to register with one of the original five official religions to maintain their citizenship. This practice was applied in many places, including the national registration card, marriage registration, and family registration card. Civics education in Indonesia taught school children that there are only five official religions.[97][96]

Following the fall of Suharto in 1998, Abdurrahman Wahid was elected as the country's fourth president. He rescinded the 1967 Presidential Instruction and the 1978 Home Affairs Ministry directive, and Confucianism once again became officially recognised as a religion in Indonesia. Chinese culture and activities were again permitted. [98]

Indigenous religions

Nias tribesmen moving and erecting a megalith, ca. 1915

A number of ancestral

indigenous religions (Austronesian and Papuan ethnic beliefs) are present, which were dominant throughout the archipelago before the arrival of Dharmic and Abrahamic religions. Some still exist in some parts of Indonesia as either pure or syncretic
. They include:

The non-official number of ethnic believers is up to 20 million.[16] The government often views indigenous beliefs as kepercayaan adat (custom) rather than agama (religion) or as a variant of a recognised religion. Because of this, followers of these beliefs such as Dayak Kaharingan have identified themselves as Hindu as a result to avoid pressure to convert to Islam or Christianity. Several native tribal beliefs such as Sunda Wiwitan, Toraja Aluk Todolo, and Batak Parmalim — although different from Indian-influenced Balinese Hinduism — might seek affiliation with Hinduism to survive, while at the same time also preserving their distinction from mainstream Indonesian Hinduism dominated by the Balinese. In many cases, some of the followers of these native beliefs might convert to Christianity or Islam, at least registered as such on their KTP while still upholding and performing their native beliefs.[100]

However, "the branches/flows of beliefs" (

aliran kepercayaan), including local new religious movements, are partly recognised according to a 2017 decision of the Constitutional Court. It rules that the law requiring people whose 'religion is not recognised', or followers of indigenous religions to leave the religion column on identity documents blank is contrary to the constitution.[15][16]

Kejawèn (Javanese beliefs)

religion

Kebatinan is an amalgam of animism, Hindu-Buddhist, and Islamic — especially Sufi — beliefs. The beliefs are rooted in Javanese history and spiritualism with the tendency to syncretise aspects of different religions in search for a common ground. Kejawèn is generally characterised as mystical, and some varieties were concerned with spiritual self-control. Although there were many varieties circulating in 1992, Kejawèn often implies pantheistic worship because it encourages sacrifices and devotions to local and ancestral spirits. These spirits are believed to inhabit natural objects, human beings, artefacts, and grave sites of the important wali (Muslim saints). Illness and other misfortunes are traced to such spirits, and if sacrifices or pilgrimages fail to placate angry deities, the advice of a dukun or healer is sought. Kejawèn, while it connotes a turning away from the aggressive universalism of orthodox Islam, moves toward a more internalised universalism. In this way, Kebatinan moves toward eliminating the distinction between the universal and the local, the communal and the individual.[101]

The Kejawèn have no certain prophet, a sacred book, nor distinct religious festivals and rituals; it has more to do with each adherent's internalised transcendental vision and beliefs in their relations with others and with the supreme being. As a result, there is an inclusiveness that the kebatinan believer could identify themselves with one of six officially recognised religions, at least in KTP, while still subscribe to their kebatinan belief and way of life. This loosely organised current of thought and practice was legitimised in the 1945 constitution and, in 1973, when it was recognised as Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa (Believer of One Supreme God) that somewhat gain the status as one of the agama. President Suharto regarded himself as one of its adherents.[102]

The formal Kejawen/Kebatinan movements are

Pangestu, Perjalanan, Amerta, and others.[103]

Subud

Subud is an international spiritual movement that began in Indonesia in the 1920s as a movement related to Sufism and Javanese beliefs founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo. (The name Subud was first used in the late 1940s when Subud was legally registered in Indonesia.) The basis of Subud is a spiritual exercise commonly referred to as the latihan kejiwaan, which was said by Muhammad Subuh to be guidance from "the Power of God" or "the Great Life Force".[104][105]

Muhammad Subuh saw the present age as one that demands personal evidence and proof of religious or spiritual realities, as people no longer just believe in words. He claimed that Subud is not a new teaching or religion, but only that the latihan kejiwaan itself is the kind of proof that humanity is looking for. There are now Subud groups in about 83 countries, with a worldwide membership of about 10,000.[105]

Saminism

Indonesian social-religious

Dutch, was founded by Surosentiko Samin in north-central Java (Blora) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[106]

Other

Dayak dukun (shaman).

sorcerers and masters of black magic. In common usage, the dukun is often confused with another type of shaman, the pawang. It is often mistranslated into English as "witch-doctor" or "medicine man". Many self-styled shamans in Indonesia are scammers and criminals, preying on gullible and superstitious people who were raised to believe in the supernatural.[107]

Other religions and belief systems

Judaism