The Dynamics of Religious Identity Contestation: Insights from The Experience of Religious Diversity in Jember

Abstract

Religious contestation is a common phenomenon that occurs in a multi religious community particularly in the context of majority-minority relations. Despite being labelled as “Desa Pancasila” (The village of Pancasila) for its success in managing religious diversity, interreligious relations in Sukoreno are not always cooperative in practice, rather, it also involves elements of competition, even contestation. Grounded in two research focuses: first, how religious identity contestation unfolds, and second, in which fields it takes place, the current study seeks to analyse religious identity contestation in a multi religious community. Employing a qualitative-descriptive research method, the current study is also framed in Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical lens. Observations and in-depth interviews were conducted with religious elites from both majority and minority groups encompassing individuals who hold both formal and informal leadership roles. The findings suggest that contestation of religious social identity did not only occur solely within the field of physical religious identity, but also occurred within the public discourse. In each arena of contestation, actors mobilize their respective capitals to attain legitimation, recognition, and domination within the religious social field.