The State and Religion in Southeast Asia: Local Christian Theologians on Islam and Politics

• In Event: 151. The State and Religious Actors in South Asia and Southeast Asia: Differing Motivations and Implications

Abstract

This paper examines the interplay between the state and religious actors in several Southeast Asian countries from the perspective of local Christian theologians and their positions on public theology, particularly in relation to Islam and politics. The paper looks at recent socio-political developments in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, and examines how Christian religious groups have chosen to get involved in the public square by means of political activism or protest. The paper examines the theological and sociological motivations behind their political involvement, and argues that a more fundamental motivating factor is that of self-identity and self-confidence within the larger polity. The paper will specifically highlight writings from a number of local Christian theologians on religion and public theology, including Ng Kam Weng from Malaysia, Roland Chia from Singapore, Joseph Shao from the Philippines and Darmaputera from Indonesia amongst several others. The paper will outline the common threads in the positions of these local Christian theologians in Southeast Asia, particularly their views on Islam and other religions in a secular state context, as well as their views on how states choose to manage religious involvement in local politics –  for example by emphasizing the Pancasila philosophy in Indonesia and the Religious Harmony Act in Singapore. This paper will contribute to the literature on the role of Islam in politics by elucidating the views of religious actors from another faith community.

Author

• Benjamin Pwee, Pwee Foundation