Hefner Features on LSE’s Podcast to Discuss Islam, Society, and Politics in Indonesia
Professor Robert Hefner was recently invited as a guest on the podcast series “Dialogues on Southeast Asia” hosted by London School of Economics’ (LSE) Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre (SEAC) to discuss Islam, society, and politics in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country and the world’s third largest democracy.
Hefner, a leading scholar on Islam in Indonesia and on comparative studies of religion, shared his research experience in the country from the 1970s to the 1990s – underscoring Islamization of the region and what makes it unique compared to other Islamic nations. He highlighted the various Islamic trends and political developments during his time in East Java villages and major cities like Jakarta.
The professor described Indonesia as the most “associationalized Islamic society in the world.” While conducting research alongside village activists in Java, he observed two important things – the spirit of multiethnic and multireligious nationalism remained strong – even after the violence involving the killing of communists.
In the 1990s, Hefner shifted his research focus to the urban elites in Jakarta to better understand the role of Islam and Muslims at a national level. This era was pivotal in Hefner’s research due to Indonesia’s transition from authoritarian rule to democracy, and the evolution of its democratic politics since then. Now, Indonesia is known for its diversity and associational strength as a Muslim-majority country, a feature that is uncommon in other Islamic countries.
To listen to Professor Hefner’s thoughts on Indonesia, its Islamic society and politics, click here.
Robert W. Hefner is the professor of anthropology and global affairs at the Pardee School of Global Affairs at Boston University. He’s the author of the book, Islam and Citizenship in Indonesia: Democracy and the Quest for an Inclusive Public Ethics, which examines the conditions facilitating democracy, women’s rights, and inclusive citizenship in Indonesia. He has served as president of the Association for Asian Studies and American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS), and as director of the Center for the Study of Asia at BU. Hefner was also the director of the Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA) at BU.