Muslim Politics Review
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026)

Interreligious Marriage in Indonesia: Institutional Competition, Religious Monopolies, and the Dynamics of a Regulated Religious Economy

Muhammad Afdillah (UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya)



Article Info

Publish Date
19 Jun 2026

Abstract

This article examines interreligious marriage (IRM) in Indonesia as a politically contested arena within a regulated religious economy, where religious institutions, state agencies, courts, and intermediaries compete and collaborate to control access to marital legitimacy. Rather than treating IRM as a marginal anomaly or purely doctrinal issue, the study conceptualizes it as a structured site of negotiation shaped by legal pluralism, institutional competition, and political interests. Drawing on religious economy theory, Griffiths’ distinction between normative and empirical legal pluralism, and Bourdieu’s concept of the juridical field, the article analyzes how authority over marriage is distributed and contested across overlapping institutions. Empirically, the study is based on qualitative fieldwork conducted between 2022 and 2025 in Jakarta, Surabaya, and Biak, combining interviews with interreligious couples and institutional actors with legal and policy analysis. The findings highlight that Indonesia’s marriage regime operates as a state-supported religious monopoly restricting supply, generating alternative pathways, and producing adaptive strategies such as conversion, dual rituals, customary marriage, and court registration. The issuance of Supreme Court Circular (SEMA) No. 2/2023 marks a significant shift, closing judicial avenues and reinforcing religious authority. Interreligious marriage thus provides a critical lens for understanding the intersection of law, religion, and politics in contemporary Indonesia.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

mpr

Publisher

Subject

Social Sciences

Description

Focus: The MPR focuses on the multifaceted relationships between religion and political and socio-economic development of Muslim states and societies. Scope: The MPR intends to provide an international forum for exchange of ideas between scholars and students of religion and politics in the Muslim ...