Introduction

Abstract

This edited volume argues that the rise of Islamic conservatism poses significant challenges to Indonesia’s continued existence as a multi-religious state, with far-reaching implications for the social, cultural and political fortunes of the country. It discusses Islamic conservatism in terms of its intersection with identity politics and the way in which religious identity has been leveraged by conservative Islamic groups to attack their enemies and influence the direction of state policy. This volume is also expected to contribute a model of analysis in the field of Indonesian and Islamic studies on the logic of Islamic conservative activism, which so far has only been understood at a superficial level by many scholars. The contributors in this volume explore the interaction between the Indonesian state and Islamic conservatism in a more nuanced manner, giving due weight to the fact that Indonesia is a socially conservative, Muslim-majority country. Therefore, the relationship between conservative Islam and the state is more complex than simply an attempt by radical groups to take over the government and convert it into an Islamic state. The contributions in this volume will help to give this complex dynamic the detail and nuance it deserves.