<![CDATA[This study examines the leadership dynamics of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) by exploring the contestation between religious idealism and political-economic interests within the broader framework of state–religion relations in Indonesia. The research is motivated by recent developments, including the granting of Special Mining Business Licenses (IUPK) to religious organizations under Government Regulation No. 25 of 2024, institutional tensions between the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) and the National Awakening Party (PKB), and debates surrounding the involvement of political party elites in PBNU's leadership. Employing a qualitative library research design and Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis, this study analyzes legal documents, organizational records, policy texts, and recent scholarly literature to examine how religious authority, political legitimacy, and economic interests are discursively constructed and negotiated. Unlike previous studies that primarily provide historical accounts or respond to contemporary political events, this article situates the NU case within broader debates on state–religion relations, political patronage, and the political economy of religious organizations. The findings reveal that increasing political-economic accommodation has blurred the boundaries between religious authority and state power, weakened organizational autonomy, and generated policy precedents susceptible to clientelistic practices. The study concludes that strengthening transparent governance, institutional accountability, and regulatory safeguards is essential to preserving the moral legitimacy and democratic role of religious organizations while preventing the instrumentalization of religious authority for political and economic interests.]]>
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