Abstract

This chapter attempts to showcase the legacy of Nurcholish Madjid, an influential Muslim intellectual who championed religious pluralism in Indonesian Islam in the early post-independence era. Madjid argued for a rational and dynamic interpretation of Islam by promoting the use of Western social theory to reform the way traditionalist minds interpret Islam. With this approach, by the late 1980s, Madjid managed to build the basis for moderate views of Muslims, especially of those who come from the middle class background. The chapter first discusses briefly the making of Indonesian Islam that serves to give the historical background of the early role of Muslims from different periods. Then, it introduces how Madjid, also known as Cak Nur, emerges as a prominent figure that enriches the discourse of Indonesian Islam and its relevance today. Finally, it displays the recent challenges to the pluralist view of Islam from the rise of right wing groups and how to tackle them in order to preserve the religious diversity in Indonesia’s democracy.