Broader Perspective (The Final Paper Reflection To World Religions)

Given lecture of World Religion during this semester, I have found myself getting broader perspective about religions. Those broader perspectives basically are very helpful not only for getting M.A. degree in CRCS, but also for shaping my mind in future. At least, I can catch 3 parts of wonderful knowledge about religion based on this lecture.

At first is academic perspective. I thought that this course would be boring because it just contains with universal things which exist within every religion such as history, prophets, teaching and holy days. But I was wrong because scientifically then I know that for studying religion is not only merely from theologian perspective. What I got in the whole of my previous knowledge and teaching about religion is more theological than scientific, or in other word is more insider than outsider.

I do not want to discuss about objectivity or subjectivity here, but I just reflect that this lecture is the first experience for studying religion from another side which is more anthropological than historical story. I think it is true because the obligatory book of this lecture is written by a western anthropologist such as Mr. Mark Woodward. I realize than that majority of my perspective about religion move away from theological perspective to scientific perspective.

The second is sociological perspective. My next impression in this course is that my friends come from many backgrounds. Those plural backgrounds contribute the coloring opinion about many things in the course. For instance, when discussing about Christianity, we can compare it directly with our classmate who is Christian adherent to share his experience and also understanding about his religion itself. It is so helpful minimally for sharing and endorsing the knowledge we got straight to its actor directly.

Those pluralities also made me more being open minded about the diversities around me. From this class, I can get it from two levels. First level comes from the matters of this course which gave many various religions. Honestly before this course I just know some prominent religions in Indonesia (6 official religions) but during this class I get more knowledge about those and also some addition for indigenous religion and Judaism. The second level comes from the plural backgrounds of my classmates itself. Those plurality backgrounds exist in many aspects such as culture, religion, race, nation and also academic. It is interesting because in the past I used to gather with similar background people. I do not judge that interacting some people from similar backgrounds is bad; I just want to admit that interacting with plural people.

The third perspective is theological perspective. It is more about my consciousness that studying various religions finally will strengthen my belief about God. This consciousness plays into two sides; the reality of diversity and the truth only deserves in God. I believe that God creates this world contains not merely from my community (in religious field: Islam) but also other communities such as Christian, Judaism, or Indigenous religion. This helps a lot then before that the plurality really exists around me.

 That first consciousness then leads me to the second consciousness about the truth only belongs to God. From my contemplation about many various religions, I conclude that every community has their own belief about God. Based on that, I realize then I could not force my belief to other people, because they also have their belief. It is so compatible with one verse in Koran which says that they can live their religions freely such as I live my religion freely too (Al Kaafirun: 6). It can be inferred that we just adjudicate the truth by our belief so that is very human being, meanwhile the truly truth only belongs to God.

Projections of My future academic work

Those broader perspectives above will obviously affect me academically my research in religious issue. Those will be helpful in my position as a student of CRCS which is concerning about diversity and trying to bridge it in the plural society. CRCS tries to apply a broader understanding about religious and cross-cultural studies toward examining interdisciplinary knowledge.

Personally, now I am interested in the relationship between religion and ethnicity. I plan to examine what is the core value of that relationship, how people keep it for a long way, and the last is how about their future projection in modern society. I have not decided actually in where I will conduct my research, but the point is that it must be different from my ethnic. Based on that, I think that my broader perspective above will fully help me conducting that research. My broader perspective will give me the broader understanding and more comprehensive action or strategy I have to do in that research.

Academically, my research has to start with comprehensive understanding about my object of research. It will be concluded that I need much source for examining what is the best methodology I have to use. Thus, I have to prepare as good as possible from scientific knowledge.

Sociologically, my research will face many realities because it will be a field research work. Of course, for succeeding my research minimally I need to know the sociological aspects of my object research because I believe that society always contains with complexity and diversity there.

Theologically, I will be ready when there are many different colors of faith in that society. It is important because it can reduce my suspicion about their religious identity and just concern with my goal of research. No matter who they are, I think I have to give my respect spiritually and morally.

Conclusion

The broader perspective which I got from the lecture of World Religion’s course is personal experience. I do not think that this is will be static stand of my view toward religion and cross-cultural. I believe that my broader perspective will be fully helpful for shaping me with broader and more comprehensive understanding not only for my future academic research but also for my whole life in this world.