I. Islam in Indonesia

A. Indonesia: largest Muslim population in the world
B. Arrived with Muslim traders in the 13th century
C. Today: population just under 250 million (2013), 88% Muslim, home to 13% of world's Muslims
D. Readings: diverse approaches to Islam and being Muslim
E. Islam is central to how people in Indonesia envision themselves as modern producers, consumers, and thinkers
F. Marginality of Indonesian Muslims in global Islam

 

II. Pious Development (Rudnyckyj)

A. Boundaries: Indonesia and other countries, religion and work, individuals and corporations
B. ESQ (Emotional and Spiritual Quotient) at Krakatau Steel: Market Islam

1. "instil labour discipline and enhance corporate competitiveness" (S185)
2. "Market Islam refers to how Islamic practices are mobilized to facilitate the transition from an authoritarian regime of state-fostered development to organizing labour and commercial activity according to market principles" (S185)
3. Goal: "inculcate the kind of ethical dispositions deemed conducive to greater competitiveness in a global economy" (187); foster national development
4. Krakatau Steel: former monopoly, but since 2004 has faced free market competition from Japan, Korea, and China

a. End lifetime employment and tendency to promote through connections
b. Make employees harder working and more industrious
c. "Work is worship"

5. ESQ interpretations of Islam: "the third pillar of Islam, the duty to give alms (zakat), is divine sanction for 'synergy', 'strategic collaboration', and exercising a 'win-win' approach in both business transactions and relations with co-workers" (S190).
6. Workshops: three very long days with featured powerpoint, visuals, lectures, and interactive conversations
7. Tariffs as a blessing from Allah: "'Ladies and gentlemen ... our faith in Allah is the key to all the problems that we face in this global era! This era has brought the elimination of import tariffs on steel. For humans it is darkness, but for Allah it is light. Because the elimination of tariffs is a blessing from Allah! The reduction of import tariffs to zero per cent is a blessing from Allah!'" (S193).

C. Global competition ==> productivity and connection
D. Individual religiosity ==> corporate success
E. "Thus, spiritual reformers and managers had recast the problem of development as a matter of cultivating the individual ethics inherent in a familiar tradition. It was no longer solely a question of acquiring external knowledge and technology" (S194).
F. Rejection of top-down development: "forming a subject conducive to the norms of the free market was not something that Rinaldi [brother of ESQ founder] thought could be approached through external regulation.... Spiritual reform seeks to elicit a new ethical subject who governs him- or herself in accordance with religious norms that are conceived of as internal to the subject, not because of external compulsion" (S196).
G. Market Islam seeks to break the boundary between inside and outside, between market and religion, by reinventing tradition
H. Sources on ESQ

1. Principles chart
2. Training session
3. ESQ training for tourism
4. Website: includes testimonials (via Google translate)

a. "Spiritual values are so important for all employees in any organization or company. With spiritual values, the performance and achievement of the company is good and achievers."
b. "One of JNE's human capital development channels through ESQ training. There is spiritual character building training, our emotions also become better at interacting with others."

5. Youtube Channel
6. Facebook

 

III. Tele-Dai (Hoesterey)

A. Muslim television preachers in Indonesia: tele-dai (dai= "'one who invites people to Islamic life'" (137))
B. Abdullah Gymnastiar, aka Aa Gym: heart management, including two-way communication between husbands and wives
C. Self-help gurus merging piety and prosperity, rather than more conventional Islamic preachers
D. 2006: Aa Gym took a second wife

 

Anth 170 Homepage | syllabus | lecture handouts | study guide questions/response paper topics | exam review materials | Leshkowich Homepage

 

For more information, contact:  aleshkow@holycross.edu