A Report on the International Seminar on Religions and Contemporary Development

Abstract

The International Seminar on Religions and Contemporary Development was sponsored by the Sunan Kalijaga Stale Institute for Islamic Studies, located in Jogjakarta, Java, Indonesia. This seminar was a major event for scholars of Islamic studies in Indonesia, as it was opened by the Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, Munawir Sjadzili. The conference secretary, Rifa'i Abduh, and the conference chair, Burhanuddin Daya, organized the conference in order to addres.5 the is.5ues of religious fundamentalism, and Islam and development. Peter Clarke (King's College, University of London, UK) spoke on "Contemporary Problems of Religion in Europe." He stated that technology has become a religion, for many Europeans actually believe in it. In the same way that Christians believe that God can do anything and everything, secularists believe that technology can do anything and everything. Bert Breiner (Selly Oak College, Birmingham, UK), speaking on the same is.5ue, said that religious groups in western Europe have tended to accept the dominant epistemology of scientific empirical objectivity: The major problem of religion in contemporary Europe is the question of revelation. Unless religious thinkers can evolve an understanding of religious truth in general, and of religion in particular , which is independent of this particular epistemological principle, it will have little to offer the development of contemporary European civilization. Martin van BNinessen (University of Leiden, the Netherlands) addressed "Muslim Fundamentalism: Can It Be Understood or Should It Be Explained Away?" He thinks that it can be understood and notes that violent action in the name of Islam is not a direct result of radical religious doctrines, but a consequence of certain social factors that may predispose some people to militancy. How a person becomes a fundamentalist can be explained by the religious climate in his/her family, the accessibility of certain literature, and the frequency of contact with recruiting activists ...