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The History of Religion in  Indonesia

 

 There are four main religions in Indonesia: Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. Approximately 88% of Indonesians practice some variation of Islam.

  

 

Islam

 Muslim traders were the first to bring Islam to Indonesia. These traders came from Arabia and India in the 12th century, where Islam was already widespread. It was not until the 1400’s that Islam really started to dominate the region. On Java, the Muslim religion dominated. On Bali the kingdom remained Hindu.

 

  Today Islam in Java is more relaxed. The more fundamentalist practitioners of Islam are largely in northern Sumatra. Islam is a monotheistic religion whose religious principles were spread by the prophet Mohammed. The Koran is the book of writings of the prophet Mohammed.

 

  

 

Buddhism

 

Originally Indonesians were Hindus or Buddhists. The two religions vied for power. But with the advance of Islam from the 1200’s onward, Buddhism and Hinduism declined. On Bali there are still many Bali-Hindu temples.

 

Buddhism is based on the teachings of  Siddhartha Guatama who lived about 2,500 years ago.. The name Buddha means one who is awake. There are many different forms of Buddhism.

 

  

 

Hinduism

Mataram was the first Hindu Kingdom to create a strong state in Indonesia. It fell to a Buddhist kingdom in the 800’s.

 

There are many forms of Hinduism. Most are henotheistic, meaning that they revolve around one central G-d with other G-ds and Goddesses who are manifestations of that G-d.

 

 

Christianity 

Approximately 10% of Indonesians are Christians. The Dutch brought Christianity to Indonesia in the 1500’s. They were centered mainly in Java. Today many Indonesians practice a combination of ancestor worship and nature worship which they combine with Christianity or Islam. Most Christians today in Indonesia are Protestants.

 

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based upon the Bible and The New Testament. The New Testament is a book which relates the teachings and life of Christ as reported by his disciples.