The development of syllabus and curriculum perspectives in the comparative religion discipline at Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta : an analytical study

Abstract

Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN, State Islamic University) Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, constantly provides important contributions to developing and promoting the Comparative Religion discipline and the University accordingly has become a leading centre for comparative religious studies in Indonesia. The present state of such studies in the state institutions of Islamic higher education in the country has been quite indebted to the role played by the University. This thesis attempts to explore the growth and development of Comparative Religion as an academic discipline being taught for years at the University. In analysing how the University cultivates and fosters Comparative Religion, this study investigates the manifestations of the discipline into three academic aspects. Firstly, the University’s educational system, which includes the methods used in teaching and learning Comparative Religion, the curricular and syllabic design of the discipline, and other academic policies conducive for maintaining Comparative Religion. Secondly, the role played by the community of the UIN scholars in advancing comparative religious studies. Thirdly, the thoughts and views of the UIN scholars regarding selected topics in Comparative Religion, such as the origins of religion, the religious truth claims, methodology and approaches applied in comparative religious studies, and the objectives and benefits of learning Comparative Religion. This study applies qualitative methods of research, which rely on descriptive and interpretative analyses, historical survey, as well as philosophical examination. It also involves library research and unstructured interviews with some of the UIN scholars concerned with Comparative Religion. The objectives this thesis tries to achieve are: to acquire a portrait of the historical context of the emergence and development of Comparative Religion in Indonesia; to find appropriate ways of improving the methods of teaching and learning the Comparative Religion discipline that meet the needs of Muslim students of religious studies; and to determine the trends of intellectual orientation among the UIN scholars associated with Comparative Religion. The research reveals some findings related to several issues: the connection between the incorporation and teaching of Comparative Religion at the University and the wider context of Indonesian socio-historical dynamics; the epistemological interplay between Muslim and Western traditions of religious studies which inspired the emergence of the notions of Islamic integration of knowledge; and the prospect of teaching and learning Comparative Religion as a medium to promote and build interreligious peace and harmony in the society.