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Unraveling Religious Symbolism in Tokwi Lasem Batik Motifs: Charles Sanders Peirce's Semiotic Analysis of the Representation of Meaning and Cultural Identity Cakranegara, Doddy Iskandar; Muhtadi, Asep Saeful; Syukur, Abdul; Truna, Dody S.
International Journal of Nusantara Islam Vol 14 No 1 (2026): International Journal of Nusantara Islam
Publisher : UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15575/ijni.v14i1.45718

Abstract

This study investigates the representation of religious symbols embedded within the Tokwi Lasem batik motifs, utilizing the semiotic framework of Charles Sanders Peirce. Originating from the Chinese Peranakan community in Lasem, Central Java, these batik motifs carry profound spiritual significance, particularly symbols rooted in Taoist belief systems, such as the Three Star Gods (Fu Lu Shou), the Eight Immortals (Ba Xian), dragons, phoenixes, and Mandarin characters. Employing a qualitative method, data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews with artisans, cultural experts, and curators, as well as a literature review. The findings demonstrate that the motifs serve not merely as decorative art but as sacred signs functioning within Peirce’s triadic model of semiosis—comprising representamen, object, and interpretant. These signs embody a dynamic interplay of religious meaning and cultural memory, forming a visual language that bridges the sacred and the everyday. The motifs reflect a deep-seated syncretism between Chinese Taoist cosmology and Javanese local traditions, articulating identity, reverence, and continuity of belief. Theoretically, this study contributes to the growing body of scholarship on religious semiotics and material culture, while also emphasizing the interpretive richness of traditional batik as a medium of spiritual communication. Practically, the research advocates for the recognition of batik as a living heritage, fostering cultural resilience, interethnic understanding, and localized approaches to heritage education and preservation.
Unraveling Religious Symbolism in Tokwi Lasem Batik Motifs: Charles Sanders Peirce's Semiotic Analysis of the Representation of Meaning and Cultural Identity Cakranegara, Doddy Iskandar; Muhtadi, Asep Saeful; Syukur, Abdul; Truna, Dody S.
International Journal of Nusantara Islam Vol 14 No 1 (2026): International Journal of Nusantara Islam
Publisher : UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15575/ijni.v14i1.45718

Abstract

This study investigates the representation of religious symbols embedded within the Tokwi Lasem batik motifs, utilizing the semiotic framework of Charles Sanders Peirce. Originating from the Chinese Peranakan community in Lasem, Central Java, these batik motifs carry profound spiritual significance, particularly symbols rooted in Taoist belief systems, such as the Three Star Gods (Fu Lu Shou), the Eight Immortals (Ba Xian), dragons, phoenixes, and Mandarin characters. Employing a qualitative method, data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews with artisans, cultural experts, and curators, as well as a literature review. The findings demonstrate that the motifs serve not merely as decorative art but as sacred signs functioning within Peirce’s triadic model of semiosis—comprising representamen, object, and interpretant. These signs embody a dynamic interplay of religious meaning and cultural memory, forming a visual language that bridges the sacred and the everyday. The motifs reflect a deep-seated syncretism between Chinese Taoist cosmology and Javanese local traditions, articulating identity, reverence, and continuity of belief. Theoretically, this study contributes to the growing body of scholarship on religious semiotics and material culture, while also emphasizing the interpretive richness of traditional batik as a medium of spiritual communication. Practically, the research advocates for the recognition of batik as a living heritage, fostering cultural resilience, interethnic understanding, and localized approaches to heritage education and preservation.
Charisma and Capitalism in Motion: the Continuing Relevance of Robert P. Weller’s Ideas for Indonesian Islamic Modernity Roberto Arieza Martin Purba; Dody S. Truna; Rifki Rosyad
Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin Indonesia (JIM-ID) Vol. 5 No. 01 (2026): Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisplin Indonesia (JIM-ID), January 2026
Publisher : Sean Institute

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Abstract

This study examines Robert P. Weller’s theoretical contributions to understanding the relationship between religious transformation and the capitalist economic system in Asia. Weller challenges the Weberian secularization paradigm by proposing a dialectical model of secularization–religionization and a typology of three religious responses to capitalism: embracing amorality, prosperity theology, and philanthropic amelioration. Through empirical studies in Taiwan, he demonstrates that religion is not a victim of modernity but a moral actor negotiating global economic values. This review evaluates Weller’s theoretical framework, methodological approach, empirical contributions, as well as its limitations and directions for future research.
DARI TEOLOGI KE MASALAH SOSIAL: RELEVANSI GAGASAN ’RELIGIOUS PROBLEMS’ IVAN STRENSKI BAGI ANALISIS KONFLIK DAN PENGEMBANGAN MASYARAKAT Muhibuddin; Truna, Dody S.; Rosyad, Rifki
Lembaran Masyarakat: Jurnal Pengembangan Masyarakat Islam Vol. 11 No. 2 (2025): Juli-Desember 2025
Publisher : Department of Islamic Community Development, Faculty of Da'wah, State Islamic University (UIN) of Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.32678/lbrmasy.v11i2.12585

Abstract

This article critically examines Ivan Strenski’s work “The Proper Object of the Study of Religion: Why It Is Better to Know Some of the Questions Than All of the Answers”, which positions “problems of religion” as the epistemological foundation of religious studies. Using a qualitative approach through library research, this study analyzes Strenski’s argument that religious inquiry should focus on fundamental questions emerging from religious phenomena, rather than defining what religion is. The analysis reveals that Strenski successfully offers an important epistemological repositioning for religious studies to remain scientific while avoiding both theologization and cultural reductionism. However, his concept remains normative and lacks an operational methodology for empirical application. This review highlights the significance of Strenski’s ideas in enriching the epistemological discourse of religious studies and underscores the need for a more concrete methodological framework to implement his theoretical propositions.
REVIEW KRITIS TERHADAP “THE FUTURE OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES” DAN RELEVANSINYA BAGI STUDI AGAMA DI INDONESIA Supiana, Nana; Truna, Dody S.; Rosyad, Rifki
Lembaran Masyarakat: Jurnal Pengembangan Masyarakat Islam Vol. 11 No. 2 (2025): Juli-Desember 2025
Publisher : Department of Islamic Community Development, Faculty of Da'wah, State Islamic University (UIN) of Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten

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Abstract

This article critically reviews The Future of Religious Studies, which reflects on the historical evolution and methodological transformation of religious studies from modernity to postmodernity. Using a qualitative approach through literature review, the study analyzes how the text challenges the dominance of Western rationality and promotes an interdisciplinary paradigm that integrates theology, philosophy, and the social sciences. The discussion highlights the transition from essentialism to methodological pluralism, emphasizing religion as a dynamic and contextual phenomenon. The review argues that the future of religious studies lies in its ability to remain reflective, humanistic, and socially transformative. In the Indonesian context, this perspective provides a valuable framework for developing a contextual and dialogical approach to studying religion amid pluralism, digitalization, and socio-political change.
RACE, RELIGION, AND THE MORAL OF WHITENESS: A POSTCOLONIAL READING OF NADINE GORDIMER’S COUNTRY LOVERS Nurrachman, Dian; Dody S. Truna; Ilim Abdul Halim; Mohammad Ziaul Haq
Saksama: Jurnal Sastra Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): Saksama
Publisher : Fakultas Adab dan Humaniora UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15575/sksm.v4i2.52685

Abstract

This article examines Nadine Gordimer’s Country Lovers through an integrated framework drawn from postcolonial criticism, critical race theory, and the genealogy of religion. It argues that Gordimer’s short story offers a concentrated narrative archive of how race and religion function as co-constitutive systems of colonial power. Using a mimetic method of literary criticism, the study treats the narrative as a representational site where social, legal, and moral structures of apartheid South Africa are reproduced and contested. The analysis is grounded in the contemporary understanding of race as a sociohistorical construct whose apparent naturalness conceals political and institutional production. The study also draws on Talal Asad’s formulation of religion as a historically contingent category shaped by European intellectual and colonial histories, as well as Malory Nye’s and Theodore Vial’s arguments that race and religion are inseparable “conjoined twins” of modernity. Within this theoretical constellation, Country Lovers emerges as a text that discloses how Christian-inflected moral orders and secular legal practices jointly uphold racial hierarchies. Close readings of key narrative scenes—Paulus and Thebedi’s secret encounters, the description of the mixed-race infant, the court proceedings, and Thebedi’s coerced silence—demonstrate the ways in which whiteness operates as moral purity while blackness is aligned with sin, transgression, and disposability. By analyzing these narrative elements as mimetic representations of structural power, the article argues that Gordimer’s work illuminates the afterlives of colonial religio-racial discourse in modernity. Ultimately, the study contends that Country Lovers not only critiques apartheid but also exposes the deeper moral and epistemic architectures through which colonialism continues to shape postcolonial consciousness. The article contributes to broader scholarly conversations about decolonization by foregrounding literature as a site where racialized religious imaginaries are produced, contested, and potentially transformed.
Holistic Spiritual Qur'anic (HSQ) Method in Da'wah: Irshad's Perspectives on Religious Studies and Contemporary Issues Lustiyowati, Ana; Truna, Dody S.; Waluyajati, Raden Roro Sri Rejeki
Jurnal Iman dan Spiritualitas Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): Jurnal Iman dan Spiritualitas
Publisher : UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15575/jis.v6i1.53322

Abstract

Meningkatnya tekanan psikologis, fragmentasi spiritual, dan kebingungan karier pada Generasi Z merupakan isu kontemporer yang berdampak besar pada dunia pendidikan global, termasuk pesantren. Penelitian ini mengkaji Metode Holistic Spiritual Qur’ani (HSQ) sebagai model dakwah irsyad yang mengintegrasikan simbolisasi al-Qur’an dengan pendekatan spiritual-psikologis dalam membantu santri membentuk identitas, arah hidup, dan kesiapan karier. Menggunakan desain kualitatif fenomenologis, data diperoleh melalui wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi terhadap konselor, pendiri HSQ, dan santri di Pondok Pesantren Integritas Qur’ani Bandung. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa HSQ memberikan pendekatan multidimensi yang mencakup PQ (Physical Quotient), IQ (Intellectual Quotient) , EQ (Emotional Quotient), dan SQ (Spiritual Quotient) melalui teknik penakwilan simbologi Qur’ani dan struktur Mushaf Utsmani. HSQ terbukti memperkuat resiliensi spiritual santri, mengurangi kebingungan eksistensial, serta membantu perencanaan karier yang selaras dengan nilai Qur’ani. HSQ merupakan model dakwah irsyad inovatif yang relevan menghadapi isu-isu kontemporer dan berkontribusi bagi pengembangan studi agama serta bimbingan dan konseling Islam.
Globalisasi dan Masa Depan Studi Agama: Relativisme, Kosmopolitanisme, dan Kerentanan Manusia Truna, Dody S.; Saputra, Dadan; Rosyad, H Rifky
Jurnal Ilmu Multidisiplin Vol. 4 No. 6 (2026): Jurnal Ilmu Multidisplin (Februari - Maret 2026)
Publisher : Green Publisher

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.38035/jim.v4i6.1696

Abstract

Globalisasi telah mengubah secara signifikan lanskap keberagamaan dan paradigma studi agama kontemporer. Intensifikasi mobilitas manusia, perkembangan teknologi komunikasi, serta pluralisasi budaya lintas batas negara mendorong agama keluar dari kerangka teritorial dan nasional menuju konfigurasi transnasional dan hibrid. Kondisi ini memperkuat relativisme sebagai konsekuensi epistemologis utama dalam studi agama, sekaligus menantang kemampuan disiplin ini dalam merespons konflik, krisis kemanusiaan, dan fragmentasi makna di tingkat global. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis masa depan studi agama dalam konteks globalisasi dengan menyoroti relasi antara relativisme, kosmopolitanisme, dan kerentanan manusia berdasarkan pemikiran Bryan S. Turner. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode literature review terhadap karya-karya teoretis dan penelitian terdahulu dalam bidang sosiologi agama, studi globalisasi, dan teori kosmopolitanisme. Analisis dilakukan secara tematik-konseptual untuk mengidentifikasi pola argumentasi, posisi epistemologis, serta implikasi normatif dari perdebatan akademik yang relevan. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahwa relativisme kultural yang dominan dalam studi agama bersifat tidak terhindarkan, namun memiliki keterbatasan sebagai dasar etika. Kosmopolitanisme muncul sebagai orientasi etis alternatif yang mengakui pluralitas agama sekaligus menuntut refleksivitas dan tanggung jawab lintas batas. Artikel ini menyimpulkan bahwa konsep kerentanan manusia dapat berfungsi sebagai landasan ontologis bersama yang mengikat kosmopolitanisme dan studi agama dalam dunia global yang rapuh dan saling terhubung. Dengan mengintegrasikan kesadaran akan kerentanan manusia, studi agama dapat melampaui pendekatan deskriptif semata dan berkontribusi pada pengembangan etika global yang peka terhadap pluralitas serta tanggung jawab kemanusiaan.
The Reality of the Sacred in Mircea Eliade’s Phenomenology of Religion Sully, Elmi Hamidah; Arifuddin, Nawawi Bahar; Truna, Dody S.; Rosyad, Rifki
MSJ : Majority Science Journal Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): MSJ - February
Publisher : PT. Hafasy Dwi Nawasena

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.61942/msj.v4i1.520

Abstract

Mircea Eliade was a Romanian historian of religion and philosopher from Bucharest. He became influential in religious studies during the 20th century, focusing on the importance of myths and symbols in human experience. Notable works include "The Sacred and the Profane" and "Patterns in Comparative Religion," where he explored personal spiritual experiences and the distinction between the sacred and the profane. Eliade introduced concepts such as hierophanies, which refer to the manifestation of the sacred in everyday life. His scholarship laid the groundwork for comparative religion studies and enriched contemporary discussions on religious theories. His work laid the foundation for comparative religion studies and provided critical insights that inform contemporary discussions of the theories of religion. Scholars have drawn on his concepts to explore themes such as ritual, symbolism, and the human quest for meaning, thereby shaping various theories in the field. Eliade's legacy continues to inform how we study and interpret religions today. This research aimed to explore Eliade’s perspective on the interpretation of sacred knowledge in religion and beyond. Mircea Eliade’s "The Reality of the Sacred" is significant for several reasons, including the distinction between the sacred and the profane, the importance of myth and symbols, and the concept of Hierophanies. Overall, "The Reality of the Sacred" is celebrated for its innovative ideas and profound implications for understanding the nature of religious experience, positioning Eliade as one of the most influential figures in the study of religion. While his legacy continues to shape contemporary discussions in the field, it is essential to acknowledge certain aspects that might be lacking. Additionally, some criticisms of his writing merit further exploration.
Integrating Spiritual Values and Social Attitudes in the Traditional Communication Media of Kampung Naga's Indigenous Community Suhara, Toteng; Truna, Dody S.; Halim, Ilim Abdul
Jurnal Iman dan Spiritualitas Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026): Jurnal Iman dan Spiritualitas
Publisher : UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15575/jis.v6i2.52576

Abstract

This study analyzes the integration patterns of spiritual values and social attitudes manifested through traditional communication media in the Kampung Naga Indigenous Community, Tasikmalaya. As a community that remains steadfast in upholding ancestral traditions, the Kampung Naga community utilizes various forms of traditional communication, such as the advice of elders, the Hajat Sasih ritual, taboos, oral stories, village spatial structures, and the practice of mutual cooperation as the primary instruments for passing on cultural values. The results of the study indicate that spiritual values, including respect for God and ancestors, a cosmological understanding of the interconnectedness of humans with nature, and the principles of simple living, are directly integrated with social values through collective rituals, customary rules, and daily interactions. Each form of communication not only conveys spiritual teachings but also shapes social ethics, strengthens solidarity, and maintains order in communal life. This consistent integration creates a harmonious, disciplined, and togetherness-filled lifestyle, while demonstrating the Kampung Naga community's efforts to maintain its cultural identity and ancestral values from generation to generation. Thus, this study confirms that traditional communication has a fundamental role in maintaining the continuity of spiritual and social values, and is the main foundation for the formation of social cohesion and cultural sustainability in the Kampung Naga Indigenous community.