Religious Literacy in the Sea of Conservatism

CRCS-ICRS #WednesdayForum, 17 Feb 2021

Despite its illustrious career, religious literacy remains elusive and contested, both in theory and practice. Both the notion and application of religious literacy often lead to misunderstanding and suspicion in a time when religion seems to be ‘in your face’. The drive for a moderated form of religious expression and manifestation in Indonesia has also called into question the relevance of religious literacy and its impact on society. The Speaker will argue that religious literacy builds stronger democratic citizenship and serves as an effective buffer against the rising tide of conservatism and exclusivism. The talk will bring in the Indonesian experience in implementing a religious literacy program involving the Ministry of Religious Affairs and its extension officers (Penyuluh Agama) based in a number of districts and mayoralties across the country. Parts of the talk will be based on his recently published article entitled “Learning about Religions: An Indonesian Religious Literacy Program as a Multifaith Site for Mutual Learning” (Journal of Religions, 11, 433, 2020; doi: 10.3390/rel11090433).

About the speaker: Dicky Sofjan, Ph.D. is a Core Doctoral Faculty in the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), based in the UGM Graduate School. His research interest revolves around religion and politics. He is a member of the Educational Exchange Committee (EEC) of the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF/Fulbright).