From Piety to Policy: How the State Rebrands Nationalism Through Religious Moderation

Abstract

At the Religious Moderation Action Launching Night organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs on September 22, 2021, Cinta Laura gave a commencement address. As a young entertainer raised with Western educational values, her participation carries meaningful implications regarding the intended audience and objectives of the religious moderation initiative. Using critical discourse analysis methodology, this article investigates religious moderation as a form of state hegemonic policy. Data sources include scholarly works, articles, commentaries, and media reports from both print and digital platforms addressing religious moderation concepts and frameworks, particularly from 2020 onward. The central questions explored are: How has the religious moderation policy been formulated in the current context? What objectives does this policy serve? The article contends that religious moderation is being advanced by the state as a mechanism to reinforce new nationalist legitimacy. The policy’s goal is to nationalize religious perspectives, thereby shaping public understanding of the religion-state relationship. This is achieved partly through measures that counter religious intolerance narratives, with special emphasis on educational settings. Furthermore, the state advocates for socio-cultural values deemed advantageous for preserving state stability. The article’s key critical insight is that while religious moderation policies have enabled the state to reduce the political consequences of intolerance, the implementation remains largely formalistic and ceremonial in nature.