Religious Moderation in Public Spaces: An Epistemological Study of Islamic Understanding in Indonesia

Moderasi Beragama di Ruang Publik: Studi Epistemologis tentang Pemahaman Islam di Indonesia

Abstract

In general, the dynamics of Islamic understanding in the Indonesian public sphere are characterized by two major tendencies: the contextualist and the exclusive-textualist orientations. The contextualist approach interprets Islamic teachings dialogically in relation to local culture and social realities, while the exclusive-textualist orientation understands Islam literally based on the foundational meaning of Qur’anic texts. The contestation between these two tendencies reveals that Islam encompasses both private (individual) and public (social) dimensions. However, the absence of clear epistemological boundaries often leads to the imposition of private values upon the public sphere or the politicization of religion in social life. Departing from this problem, this study aims to formulate the epistemology of Indonesian Islamic moderation in the public sphere. The research employs a qualitative approach grounded in Jürgen Habermas’s theory of communicative action and deliberative public space. Data were analyzed through literature review, academic documents, and contemporary religious discourses, emphasizing the relationship between religion, public rationality, and interpretive authority. The findings indicate that Indonesian Islam requires a reconstructed epistemology of moderation capable of proportionally bridging the private and public dimensions. This epistemology situates Islamic values within a communicative and dialogical rational framework, ensuring that religious expression in the public sphere remains inclusive, argumentative, and transformative. Religious moderation is therefore understood as an epistemic foundation that promotes social harmony and constructive contributions to national life.