Indonesia, with its diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic landscape, has experienced a series of socio-political shifts throughout its history. One notable phenomenon observed in recent years is what some scholars refer to as the “conservative turn,” which encompasses a series of political developments and societal changes reflecting a shift towards more traditional and conservative values in the Indonesian context. This phenomenon has been particularly evident in the political sphere, where there has been a discernible resurgence of conservative ideologies. It is believed that the friendly and tolerant face of Indonesian Islam gradually disappeared, replaced by a more conservative, even violent version. This presentation aims to reexamine the thesis by looking at the various manifestations, underlying factors, consequences, and complexities of the phenomenon, with the aim of offering a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics shaping contemporary Indonesian society undergoing profound transformation. 

Speaker: Noorhaidi Hasan (President of Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)

Moderator: Wahyu Prasetyawan (Visiting Research Scholar CSEAS Kyoto University)

Discussants:
Michael Feener (Professor CSEAS Kyoto University)
Sumanto Al Qurtuby (Visiting Research Scholar CSEAS Kyoto University)