A Model of Religious Harmonization in Indonesia: The Syncretic Dialectic of Tridharma and Islam

Abstract

The aim of this research is to develop a model of interfaith harmonisation from a common spiritual ethics between Islam and Tridharma in the context of Indonesia's multiculturalism. This vision stems from the necessity for setting up a pattern of coexistence that is not just formalistic but ethical and applicable. Being a syncretic tradition based upon Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism's teachings, Tridharma provides commonalities such as karuna (compassion), yin-yang (equilibrium), ren (humaneness), and wu wei (spontaneity) whose principles align with those of Islam such as rahmah (deity's compassion), wasathiyyah (moderation), ‘adl (justice), and insaniyah (humanity), all which are convergences for building a common ethical ground. This study employs a qualitative descriptive style grounded in literature study using Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's analysis techniques, for which source triangulation was applied for validating the findings. The findings present six essential ethical principles which constitute an interfaith ethical map between Islam and Tridharma depicted using a concept map in a Venn diagram and these include compassion, equilibrium, spontaneity, humanity, social etiquette, and moral justice. These principles are expressed through a concept-based illustration depicted in a Venn diagram which shows those ethical convergences between these two world traditions. The findings prove that an open and discerning syncretic approach could be a strategic solution for enhancing social solidarity and creating a harmonious religious public sphere in the context of diversity in Indonesia. This ethical convergence model offers practical implications for interfaith education, policy development, and community engagement to strengthen religious coexistence and address social fragmentation in Indonesia.