Javanese religion, Islam or syncretism: comparing Woodward’s Islam in Java and Beatty’s Varieties of Javanese Religion
It has been proven that the different findings in examining Javanese religious life are led by the differences in terms of academic approaches. It includes the ways some key terms are perceived and elaborated. The term ‘Islam’ is defined in its wide sense by one and its narrow sense by the other. Th...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IAIN Salatiga
2013-11-01
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| Series: | Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ijims.iainsalatiga.ac.id/index.php/ijims/article/view/108 |
| _version_ | 1811256595016843264 |
|---|---|
| author | Agus Salim |
| author_facet | Agus Salim |
| author_sort | Agus Salim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It has been proven that the different findings in examining Javanese religious life
are led by the differences in terms of academic approaches. It includes the ways
some key terms are perceived and elaborated. The term ‘Islam’ is defined in its
wide sense by one and its narrow sense by the other. The popular rite of Slametan
is also elaborated its different aspects by different authors, one leading to Islam
and the other leading to animism. The notion of mysticism and mystical practices
are also employed to refer to something different, one referring to Sufi tradition,
and the other referring to authentic Javanese mystical practices.
In addition, authors’ perspectives matter. Particular understanding of some no-tions applied from the beginning of the observation has been guided the attention
to particular aspects of religious life. Certain understanding about Islam has made
one author emphasize more on the aspects of Islam, rather than different reli-gious tradition. On the other hand, an empty-assumption-like autor to conduct
observation on religious life of Javanese has been easily fallen to the dominant
view of previous examination on the field. Those factors may lead to using differ-ent sort of data. If a single religious tradition like Islam is considered, the useful resources are textual, since they tell much about the general development of the
tradition. However, while no single religious tradition is considered more impor-tant than others, one may find that ethnographical account is the best way to see
what kind of religious traditions exist and how the traditions are perceived and
practiced. Lastly, as the leading notion and the subsequent sort of data used are
different, the aspects of a religious tradition are emphasized differently, one the
great and the other the little tradition. Therefore, the awareness -that ‘there is
subjective involvement in the process of knowing’ is confirmed in this thesis. It
has been proven by the fact that different findings of the same field research are
caused by the ways researchers approach the problem. In fact, they have differ-ent approaches.
Telah terbukti bahwa perbedaan temuan dilapangan dalam penelitian tentang
keberagamaan masyarakat Jawa dipicu adanya perbedaan pendekatan penelitian.
Perbedaan tersebut diantaranya adalah perbedaan cara memaknai beberapa
kata kunci. Kata ‘Islam’ oleh satu peneliti didefinisikan secara luas, sementara
oleh peneliti yang lain didefinisikan secara sempit. Pembahasan tentang Slametan
juga ditekankan pada aspek-aspek yang berbeda oleh masing-masing penulis.
Hasilnya, sementara yang satu menunjukkan bahwa upacara tersebut Islamik,
yang lainnya cenderung animistik. Wacana tentang paham dan praktek mistik
juga dikembangkan mengarah pada klaim yang berbeda, yang satu tradisi Sufi,
yang lainnya paham kebatinan asli Jawa.
Selanjutnya, beberapa point penting terkait dengan perspektif yang
dikembangakan oleh peneliti. Istilah kunci yang dipegang sejak awal menuntun si
peneliti untuk menekankan pada beberapa aspek kehidupan keberagamaan. Is-lam yang menjadi faktor penentu mengarahkan si peneliti untuk lebih banyak
menekankan data dan penafsirannya pada Islam, daripada tradisi keagamaan
lain. Disisi lain, karya yang nampak diawalnya tanpa pretensi apapun tentang
tradisi keagamaan tertentu, bahkan mudah jatuh pada tuntunan karya-karya
sebelumnya. Faktor-faktor tersebut mengarahkan para peneliti untuk memakai
perangkat data yang berbeda. Jika yang banyak diperhitungkan sejak awal adalah
suatu tradisi keagamaan tertentu, misalkan Islam, sumber yang lebih berguna
adalah text, untuk melihat perkembangan umum dalam beberapa tingkat tradisi.
Namun jika tidak ada prioritas satu tradisi tertentu, si peneliti menganggap bahwa
catatan ethnography akan lebih banyak berguna. Taerakhir, adanya perbedaan-perbedaan yang telah disebutkan tadi akan mengarahkan pada penekanan pada
aspek-aspek tradisi yang berbeda.
Dengan demikian, keyakinan bahwa ‘ada pengaruh subjective dalam proses
mengetahui’ sebagaimana yang dikembangkan oleh sosiologi pengetahuan telah
terbukti dalam. Faktanya adalah pernbedaan temuan lapangan dipengaruhi oleh
secara apa masalah penelitian tersebut didekati. Nyatanya, perangkat penelitian
yang mereka gunakan memang berbeda. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:43:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c3a32f1730fb4138bbf03753c0c9e224 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2089-1490 2406-825X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T17:43:43Z |
| publishDate | 2013-11-01 |
| publisher | IAIN Salatiga |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-c3a32f1730fb4138bbf03753c0c9e2242022-12-22T03:22:44ZengIAIN SalatigaIndonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies2089-14902406-825X2013-11-013222326610.18326/ijims.v3i2.223-266104Javanese religion, Islam or syncretism: comparing Woodward’s Islam in Java and Beatty’s Varieties of Javanese ReligionAgus Salim0Jogjasantara, JojakartaIt has been proven that the different findings in examining Javanese religious life are led by the differences in terms of academic approaches. It includes the ways some key terms are perceived and elaborated. The term ‘Islam’ is defined in its wide sense by one and its narrow sense by the other. The popular rite of Slametan is also elaborated its different aspects by different authors, one leading to Islam and the other leading to animism. The notion of mysticism and mystical practices are also employed to refer to something different, one referring to Sufi tradition, and the other referring to authentic Javanese mystical practices. In addition, authors’ perspectives matter. Particular understanding of some no-tions applied from the beginning of the observation has been guided the attention to particular aspects of religious life. Certain understanding about Islam has made one author emphasize more on the aspects of Islam, rather than different reli-gious tradition. On the other hand, an empty-assumption-like autor to conduct observation on religious life of Javanese has been easily fallen to the dominant view of previous examination on the field. Those factors may lead to using differ-ent sort of data. If a single religious tradition like Islam is considered, the useful resources are textual, since they tell much about the general development of the tradition. However, while no single religious tradition is considered more impor-tant than others, one may find that ethnographical account is the best way to see what kind of religious traditions exist and how the traditions are perceived and practiced. Lastly, as the leading notion and the subsequent sort of data used are different, the aspects of a religious tradition are emphasized differently, one the great and the other the little tradition. Therefore, the awareness -that ‘there is subjective involvement in the process of knowing’ is confirmed in this thesis. It has been proven by the fact that different findings of the same field research are caused by the ways researchers approach the problem. In fact, they have differ-ent approaches. Telah terbukti bahwa perbedaan temuan dilapangan dalam penelitian tentang keberagamaan masyarakat Jawa dipicu adanya perbedaan pendekatan penelitian. Perbedaan tersebut diantaranya adalah perbedaan cara memaknai beberapa kata kunci. Kata ‘Islam’ oleh satu peneliti didefinisikan secara luas, sementara oleh peneliti yang lain didefinisikan secara sempit. Pembahasan tentang Slametan juga ditekankan pada aspek-aspek yang berbeda oleh masing-masing penulis. Hasilnya, sementara yang satu menunjukkan bahwa upacara tersebut Islamik, yang lainnya cenderung animistik. Wacana tentang paham dan praktek mistik juga dikembangkan mengarah pada klaim yang berbeda, yang satu tradisi Sufi, yang lainnya paham kebatinan asli Jawa. Selanjutnya, beberapa point penting terkait dengan perspektif yang dikembangakan oleh peneliti. Istilah kunci yang dipegang sejak awal menuntun si peneliti untuk menekankan pada beberapa aspek kehidupan keberagamaan. Is-lam yang menjadi faktor penentu mengarahkan si peneliti untuk lebih banyak menekankan data dan penafsirannya pada Islam, daripada tradisi keagamaan lain. Disisi lain, karya yang nampak diawalnya tanpa pretensi apapun tentang tradisi keagamaan tertentu, bahkan mudah jatuh pada tuntunan karya-karya sebelumnya. Faktor-faktor tersebut mengarahkan para peneliti untuk memakai perangkat data yang berbeda. Jika yang banyak diperhitungkan sejak awal adalah suatu tradisi keagamaan tertentu, misalkan Islam, sumber yang lebih berguna adalah text, untuk melihat perkembangan umum dalam beberapa tingkat tradisi. Namun jika tidak ada prioritas satu tradisi tertentu, si peneliti menganggap bahwa catatan ethnography akan lebih banyak berguna. Taerakhir, adanya perbedaan-perbedaan yang telah disebutkan tadi akan mengarahkan pada penekanan pada aspek-aspek tradisi yang berbeda. Dengan demikian, keyakinan bahwa ‘ada pengaruh subjective dalam proses mengetahui’ sebagaimana yang dikembangkan oleh sosiologi pengetahuan telah terbukti dalam. Faktanya adalah pernbedaan temuan lapangan dipengaruhi oleh secara apa masalah penelitian tersebut didekati. Nyatanya, perangkat penelitian yang mereka gunakan memang berbeda.http://ijims.iainsalatiga.ac.id/index.php/ijims/article/view/108IslamSyncretismSubjective involvementSlametan |
| spellingShingle | Agus Salim Javanese religion, Islam or syncretism: comparing Woodward’s Islam in Java and Beatty’s Varieties of Javanese Religion Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies Islam Syncretism Subjective involvement Slametan |
| title | Javanese religion, Islam or syncretism: comparing Woodward’s Islam in Java and Beatty’s Varieties of Javanese Religion |
| title_full | Javanese religion, Islam or syncretism: comparing Woodward’s Islam in Java and Beatty’s Varieties of Javanese Religion |
| title_fullStr | Javanese religion, Islam or syncretism: comparing Woodward’s Islam in Java and Beatty’s Varieties of Javanese Religion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Javanese religion, Islam or syncretism: comparing Woodward’s Islam in Java and Beatty’s Varieties of Javanese Religion |
| title_short | Javanese religion, Islam or syncretism: comparing Woodward’s Islam in Java and Beatty’s Varieties of Javanese Religion |
| title_sort | javanese religion islam or syncretism comparing woodward s islam in java and beatty s varieties of javanese religion |
| topic | Islam Syncretism Subjective involvement Slametan |
| url | http://ijims.iainsalatiga.ac.id/index.php/ijims/article/view/108 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT agussalim javanesereligionislamorsyncretismcomparingwoodwardsislaminjavaandbeattysvarietiesofjavanesereligion |