Published: 6-9-2004.
This article was previously published in Indonesia at 12-7-2004.
Every religion has different religious orientations. It is formed at least by the mindset of understanding religion and environment politic, social, culture, economy and religion as the religious adherent’s place to actualize himself.
By: Hamam Faizin
Defining religion is difficult. Definitions about religion introduced by theologians seem to be inappropriate since those definitions do not enclose all religious aspects comprehensively. Therefore the available religious definitions are not satisfying.
Due to that dissatisfaction, one view is that religion should not be defined. Since the more often religion is defined, the more shackled it is within the limits of verbal definition. Yet, religion contains complex matters beyond the verbal limits. An Indian theologian J. Krisnamurti said in his book The Flight of the Angel (1971): “It is not enough to merely understand at verbal level.”
In addition, religious adherent sometimes do not want to be trapped within a definition of religion. They tend to put religion into practice without questioning reflectively about religion. By performing religion in that way, each religious adherent, realizing it or not, will position religion as the objective orientation in his life.
Every religion has different religious orientations. It is formed at least by the mindset of understanding religion and environment –politic, social, culture, economy and religion— as the religious adherent’s place to actualize himself.
In the landscape of religious history, there are at least three concepts about religious orientation. Those three concepts are –religion as end, religion as mean and religion as quest—introduced by Allport and Ross (1967) to analyze the tendency of religious adherent in positioning religion within his life. Each religious orientation assumed to influence religious adherent in how they spend their daily life.
First, religion as an end. When religious orientation is turned towards an end, religion will be trapped in the perfect final, so it will be immune from critic. Religion will be “magic” and the absolute doctrine of truth. Religious adherent who have this orientation tend to have less understanding of religion, mainly in differentiation between the domain of pure religion and the interpretation of religion. They often take religion for granted. Eventually, religion is infected by spiritual stagnancy and tends to strengthen the exclusivism and fanaticism of its adherents. They tend to close their eyes to reality and close their ears to criticism.
Second, when the level of criticism toward religion is gone and when fanaticism becomes rooted within the adherent’s belief, religion will be easily manipulated by the political and power interest. Here religion as a means appears. In this situation, religion is taken as an interest that has no relation with religious universal values.
We still remember the fatwa about the prohibition of woman president issued by several ulama in East Java (Langitan) in the beginning of June. It is curios that the kiai who issued the fatwa treat religion as a means to reach certain objectives, since the fatwa against the religious universal values in Islam do not forbid woman’s leadership. There are still many examples of religion as means.
From the above examples, it is clear that substantially, religious adherent who have religion as end and religion as mean orientations will only embarrass religion and use it as justification of their attitudes that are not appropriate with universal religious values. We may say that such an attitude is like “assassinating religion”. Therefore, other different orientations of religion are needed.
Third, religion as quest. Individuals with quest orientation do not consider religion as something final and perfect. This religious orientation gives them an attitude of anti-perfection, but they have a vision to get to perfection through various means.
Religion positioned as the process of a creative quest to find the noble objective that is in accordance to religious values. It seems to be in accordance with the Koranic injunction (3):114, which mentioned that such people always go towards good, wayusâri`ûn fil khairât. This verse clearly commands us to find al-khairât, righteousness or noble aims according to religious values.
The positive effect emerges when religious individuals prefer the quest oriented religion, that is the growth of criticism or sensitivity toward religion. A critical attitude toward religion is not a bad thing which must be observed negatively and denied religious substance. In being critical, religious adherents are expected to find the deepest substance within religious messages. They are led to find religion as a process and to embrace religion with strong religious roots within their soul and consciousness. Religious adherents will learn to think, interpret and consider what anti-religion is and what reduced religion. In that way, there will be no spiritual stagnancy in religion. Religious orientation here is the progressive religious dynamic and spirit.
An open attitude toward other possibilities, inside as well as outside religion will be wider. Curiosities of others will vanish. Religious life is expected to be tolerant. It seems that such religious orientation is possessed by all religious adherents in Indonesia. Creative attempts are needed to open their eyes and freshen up their religious spirit.
Life’s dynamics always change. Religion will encounter various issues like modernism, pluralism, multiculturalism, globalization, fragmentation, clash of civilization etc. To respond to such challenges, religious adherents must position religious roles not as ends or as means, but as a quest or a creative searching process.
Hamam Faizin, alumnus Pon. Pes. Social-Religious observer, alumnus of As-Salafiyah Islamic boarding school, Kajen-Margoyoso-Pati, Central Java.
(Translated by Lanny Octavia, edited Jonathan Zilberg).
This article was previously published in Indonesia at 12-7-2004.
Every religion has different religious orientations. It is formed at least by the mindset of understanding religion and environment politic, social, culture, economy and religion as the religious adherent’s place to actualize himself.
By: Hamam Faizin
Defining religion is difficult. Definitions about religion introduced by theologians seem to be inappropriate since those definitions do not enclose all religious aspects comprehensively. Therefore the available religious definitions are not satisfying.
Due to that dissatisfaction, one view is that religion should not be defined. Since the more often religion is defined, the more shackled it is within the limits of verbal definition. Yet, religion contains complex matters beyond the verbal limits. An Indian theologian J. Krisnamurti said in his book The Flight of the Angel (1971): “It is not enough to merely understand at verbal level.”
In addition, religious adherent sometimes do not want to be trapped within a definition of religion. They tend to put religion into practice without questioning reflectively about religion. By performing religion in that way, each religious adherent, realizing it or not, will position religion as the objective orientation in his life.
Every religion has different religious orientations. It is formed at least by the mindset of understanding religion and environment –politic, social, culture, economy and religion— as the religious adherent’s place to actualize himself.
In the landscape of religious history, there are at least three concepts about religious orientation. Those three concepts are –religion as end, religion as mean and religion as quest—introduced by Allport and Ross (1967) to analyze the tendency of religious adherent in positioning religion within his life. Each religious orientation assumed to influence religious adherent in how they spend their daily life.
First, religion as an end. When religious orientation is turned towards an end, religion will be trapped in the perfect final, so it will be immune from critic. Religion will be “magic” and the absolute doctrine of truth. Religious adherent who have this orientation tend to have less understanding of religion, mainly in differentiation between the domain of pure religion and the interpretation of religion. They often take religion for granted. Eventually, religion is infected by spiritual stagnancy and tends to strengthen the exclusivism and fanaticism of its adherents. They tend to close their eyes to reality and close their ears to criticism.
Second, when the level of criticism toward religion is gone and when fanaticism becomes rooted within the adherent’s belief, religion will be easily manipulated by the political and power interest. Here religion as a means appears. In this situation, religion is taken as an interest that has no relation with religious universal values.
We still remember the fatwa about the prohibition of woman president issued by several ulama in East Java (Langitan) in the beginning of June. It is curios that the kiai who issued the fatwa treat religion as a means to reach certain objectives, since the fatwa against the religious universal values in Islam do not forbid woman’s leadership. There are still many examples of religion as means.
From the above examples, it is clear that substantially, religious adherent who have religion as end and religion as mean orientations will only embarrass religion and use it as justification of their attitudes that are not appropriate with universal religious values. We may say that such an attitude is like “assassinating religion”. Therefore, other different orientations of religion are needed.
Third, religion as quest. Individuals with quest orientation do not consider religion as something final and perfect. This religious orientation gives them an attitude of anti-perfection, but they have a vision to get to perfection through various means.
Religion positioned as the process of a creative quest to find the noble objective that is in accordance to religious values. It seems to be in accordance with the Koranic injunction (3):114, which mentioned that such people always go towards good, wayusâri`ûn fil khairât. This verse clearly commands us to find al-khairât, righteousness or noble aims according to religious values.
The positive effect emerges when religious individuals prefer the quest oriented religion, that is the growth of criticism or sensitivity toward religion. A critical attitude toward religion is not a bad thing which must be observed negatively and denied religious substance. In being critical, religious adherents are expected to find the deepest substance within religious messages. They are led to find religion as a process and to embrace religion with strong religious roots within their soul and consciousness. Religious adherents will learn to think, interpret and consider what anti-religion is and what reduced religion. In that way, there will be no spiritual stagnancy in religion. Religious orientation here is the progressive religious dynamic and spirit.
An open attitude toward other possibilities, inside as well as outside religion will be wider. Curiosities of others will vanish. Religious life is expected to be tolerant. It seems that such religious orientation is possessed by all religious adherents in Indonesia. Creative attempts are needed to open their eyes and freshen up their religious spirit.
Life’s dynamics always change. Religion will encounter various issues like modernism, pluralism, multiculturalism, globalization, fragmentation, clash of civilization etc. To respond to such challenges, religious adherents must position religious roles not as ends or as means, but as a quest or a creative searching process.
Hamam Faizin, alumnus Pon. Pes. Social-Religious observer, alumnus of As-Salafiyah Islamic boarding school, Kajen-Margoyoso-Pati, Central Java.
(Translated by Lanny Octavia, edited Jonathan Zilberg).
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