Internet and Islamic Learning Practices in Indonesia: Social Media, Religious Populism, and Religious Authority

TLDR

Indonesia’s widespread internet and social media use has fostered Islamic learning communities that display traits of religious populism and associated socio‑religious movements. The study employs a digital religion perspective to argue that social media provides a productive arena for the development of religious populism in Indonesia. The authors observe Islamic learning practices across multiple social media platforms through this digital religion lens. The findings indicate that, although religious populism on social media appears to challenge traditional authorities, it also offers Islamic agents a media‑friendly means to disseminate teachings.

Abstract

Like in many other developing countries, Indonesia’s population has been amongst the most enthusiastic ‘uptakers’ of the internet, especially of social media. Most Indonesians utilize the internet as an information source, including religious ones. Various groups and communities of Islamic studies have appeared on social media along with religious leaders who are also active on social media. Based on the various characteristics that have emerged, Islamic learning practices scattered across various social media platforms have increasingly illustrated the symptoms of religious populism. This is marked by the various socio-religious movements that have emerged from these practices. By using a digital religion perspective in order to observe Islamic learning practices on several social media platforms, this paper argues that social media has become a productive space for the development of religious populism in Indonesia. At first glance, religious populism on social media seems to challenge authoritative figures or religious institutions, but it can also be seen as a way for Islamic agents to convey Islamic teachings in a media-friendly culture.