The heightened role of religion in the public sphere can become either a source of violence or a source of reconciliation. Considering Indonesia as a pluralistic state in terms of religion despite the fact that Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, a basic question arises: Would it be possible for religion to play a pivotal role in the public sphere of Indonesian society without seeking hegemonic control of social, political, and intellectual life? This book offers positive suggestions of how religion can develop as a transformative and liberating force in Indonesian public affairs. Based on Calvins and Neo-Calvinist Legal Theory, this book suggests that it is only within the realm of civil society that Indonesian religion will be able to promote the ideas of democracy, tolerance, and human rights in Indonesian public affairs. In short, far from being anti-pluralist, Indonesian religion evolves as a liberating force in the life of society, nation, and state.

Benyamin F. Intan is President of International Reformed Evangelical Seminary, Jakarta, Executive Director of Reformed Center for Religion and Society, Jakarta, and Editorial Board member of International Journal for Religious Freedom. He has written numerous articles for journals, book chapters and books on Law and Public Religion. One of his books, Public Religion and the Pancasila-based state of Indonesia, was published 2006 (Peter Lang).