| Are Islam and "Modernity" (whatever that might actually be) incompatible? This question is asked by both Muslims and their Western observers. This dissertation explores how a particular religious community in Java, Indonesia, called the "dunia pesantren", or "pesantren world" is answering this question and constructing an identity that balances Indonesia's developmental and material needs with its spiritual and moral needs (as they see them).;The "dunia pesantren" is organized around Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), which prior to the Twentieth century were almost exclusively religious in nature and were the only formal schooling available in Java. As secular education was introduced to Indonesia, pesantren faced tough competition and began to lose some of their appeal. In response to this, some pesantren have added government-recognized secular curricula, while maintaining basic religious training in classical Islam. The two-fold goal is to train young people who are "modern" in their education, abilities, and vocation, but who have been inoculated against materialism and egoism, on the one hand, and fundamentalism and radicalism, on the other.;However, the pesantren world is more than the sum of its parts; many individuals and institutions, both those with and those without a direct affiliation with pesantren, are part of the same socio-religious orbit. However, because pesantren are the central institution of this community, this dissertation finds its focus there. Nonetheless, the educational activities of pesantren comprise only a portion, albeit large, of this community's identity. Hence, this dissertation also documents wider aspects of this community's identity including national Indonesian identity and global Islamic identity. Of particular interest is how these aspects of identity interact and blend to create a multi-faceted identity in which all aspects are simultaneous rather than different hats worn in different situations, is much of contemporary theories lead us to assume.;Pesantren people are engaging in a peaceful jihad, which is to say that they are "striving in the cause of God" to create an educational system that will help meet Indonesia's needs as well as provide religious stability. |
