Re-theorizing Islam Jawa in Contemporary Indonesia
Scholarship exploring the relationship between Islam and Java has gained traction in academia since Clifford Geertz published his seminal work, The Religion of Java (1960). Although many scholars have critiqued Geertz’s thesis, the concepts of “santri,” “abangan,” and “priyayi” have become widely recognized in Javanese society. This conference seeks to re-theorize the relationship between Islam and Java more than sixty years after Geertz’s publication. How does one embody the identity of a Javanese Muslim in present-day Indonesia? In what ways does Islam shape the re-creation of Javanese culture, and how does Javanese culture, in turn, influence Muslim practices? Furthermore, how does Javanese epistemology contribute to shaping a distinctive Muslim identity in Java? We invite emerging scholars, lecturers and researchers to engage in discussions on the following themes.
Timeline
August 20 - 30, 2026
Abstract Submission
September 7, 2026
We inform accepted abstract
September 8 - 30, 2026
We receive full paper.
October 7, 2026
We conduct the conference
Keynote Speaker
Welcoming Speaker
Prof. Dr. H. Toto Suharto, S.Ag., M.Ag.
Rector UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta
Dr. H. Kholilurrohman,
M.Si.
Dean Faculty of Ushuluddin and Da'wa
Plenary Speaker
Dr. Amanah Nurish
universitas indonesia
Islam and Jawa After 60 years Geertz's The Religion of Java
Prof. Dr. Mark Woodward
Arizona state university
Islam and Jawa: A Decolonial Perspective
Dr. Sarah Muwahidah
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
Connecting Sunni-Shia in Nusantara
Prof. Dr. H. Abdul Matin bin Salman, Lc., M.Ag.
UIN raden mas said surakarta
Contextualizing Hadith in Jawa
Prof. Dr. H. Agus Wahyu Triatmo, M.Ag.
uin raden mas said surakarta
Da'wa in Comtemporary Jawa
Sub-themes
Re-theorizing Islam Jawa in Contemporary Indonesia
Islamic Thoughts in Javanese Manuscripts
Please submit your abstract related to the following topics, but not limited to the questions below:
- How is Islam articulated in Javanese manuscripts?
- How do contemporary Javanese people interpret Islam?
Javanese Qur’an and Hadith
Please submit your abstract related to the following topics, but not limited to the questions below:
- How is the Qur’an interpreted in the context of contemporary Java?
- How do the hadith of Prophet Muhammad become a living tradition in Java?
Politics and Social Empowerment
Please submit your abstract related to the following topics, but not limited to the questions below:
- How does Islam become the cultural capital of political practice in Java?
- How do Muslim communities engage with community empowerment?
Islami-Javanese Philosophy and Ethics
Please submit your abstract related to the following topics, but not limited to the questions below:
- What are the Javanese-Islamic ethical practices in contemporary society?
- How do Gen-Z Muslims interpret and practice Javanese ethics?
Javanese Healing, Islamic Ways
Please submit your abstract related to the following topics, but not limited to the questions below:
- What are the healing practices in Javanese society?
- What are the concepts of well-being as understood by Javanese Muslim figures?
Javanese-Muslim Pop Culture and Identity
Please submit your abstract related to the following topics, but not limited to the questions below:
- How do pesantren develop their popular cultures?
- How do young Muslims interpret and reinterpret Javanese culture?
New Media and Shifting Muslim-Javanese Authority
Please submit your abstract related to the following topics, but not limited to the questions below:
- How does the shift in religious authority take place in Javanese society?
- How does the new media influence the shifting dynamics of religious authority?
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