The ‘Crossed-Out God’ in the Asia-Pacific : Religious Efficacy of Public Spheres

This book explores the evaluations made by religious groups and individuals about the potential of public spheres for religious practice, focussing upon public religion in societies of the Asia-Pacific. Across this region we observe a resurgence of religious traditions, increasing mediatisation of religion, and an inward turn toward conservative political programs. Against this background, relations between religion and public domains are critical influences upon civic inclusion and equal citizenship. In contrast to conventional approaches to religion and public life that focus upon the public potential of religion, chapter authors focus upon the religious potential of public domains, taking the perspectives of religious actors as their points of departure. The book’s chapters capture the dynamic nexus between religion and politics in Asia-Pacific public spheres: why would Indonesia’s minority Shiite movement strive to develop a public profile in a national environment where it attracts widespread disapproval? What constructions of religion and public space make Banaras so unconducive to female mobility? Why does the success of the social services wing of Australia’s Salvation Army create anxiety for its religious wing? What is at stake for followers of Australian Spiritualism when they attend spirit-medium sessions? How are popular Islamic preachers vulnerable to action from Indonesia’s civil society organisations? What do media representations of Hajj pilgrimage by Indonesia’s presidents have in common with middle-class representations of gender? Why did Indonesia’s traditionalist Muslim intellectuals draw heavily upon the ideas of Jürgen Habermas in their theorisations of state-society relations? An epilogue by the Indonesian neo-traditionalist intellectual Ahmad Baso, the most prominent theorist of state-religion relations in that country, overviews the issues against the background of that country’s religious and political histories. Acknowledgements Contents Notes on Contributors 1 Introduction: The Religious Efficacy of Public Spheres An Irrevocable Transformation? An Asia–Pacific Discussion After the ‘Crossing-Out’ The Birth of the Anti-civic Religious Efficacy of Public Spheres Transcendence in Public Domains? Proselytising in Public Domains? Our Chapters References 2 Conspicuous Pilgrimages and the Politics of Public/Private: Social Media Representations of Indonesia’s Muslim Middle Class Introduction A Political Genealogy of Family Pilgrimages and Their Visual Representations: From Suharto to Jokowi Pictures of the Pious Muslim Middle-Class Family on Social Media Concluding Remarks References 3 Minority Islam in Indonesia’s Public Square: The Shia Emergence and Its Effects The Status Quo of Public Islam The Shia Public Emergence A Public Mobilisation Concluding Words References 4 Public Faith in Action or Private Sect: The Salvation Army in the Present Churches and Sects: Religion in Public And Private Spheres Varying Responses within Religious Groups The Salvation Army Today An Army Divided The Private Life of Salvationists In the Public Eye—The Salvation Army and Australian Society Private Religion and Public Charity Conclusions References 5 Habermas and Traditionalist Muslim Reflexivity in Indonesia Islamic Traditionalism in Indonesia Habermas on Religious Speech Religious Distinctiveness of Nahdlatul ‘Ulama’ Hikam on Civil Society Ahmad Baso: Epistemic Pluralism Concluding Words References 6 Public Islam and Preacher-Disruptors in Indonesia: A Case Study Ormas and Public Islam in Indonesia Disruptive Preachers Technology and Disruption The Complaint Concluding Words References 7 Patriarchal Territoriality: Women’s Worlds in the Sacred City of Banaras Banaras Patriarchy in India Patriarchal Territoriality In/Visible in Transit Transcending Public/Private In-between Territoriality: The Terrace Violence Final Words Bibliography 8 Mediumship and Evidence in Australian Spiritualism: Conjunctions of Private and Public Defining Death, Defining Spirit Evidence Making Private Details Public The Young Man Who Died in an Accident The Man Who Struggled with Drugs Conclusion References 9 Epilogue: A Discussion with Ahmad Baso Major Works by Ahmad Baso Index