Calling for “islamic protestantism” in Indonesia and beyond: Towards democratic and pluralistic Islam

This paper discusses the notion of “Islamic Protestantism” as a vehicle to create a face of democratic and pluralistic Islam. Drawing from the works of some prominent Muslim reformists and Western scholars, it addresses in some parts the works of Indonesian scholars. The choice of democracy and pluralism as a main focus in this paper is based on the fact that these two issues, representing the basic ideological doctrines in the ever-increasing globalized world, are not only fundamental doctrines of modern Western political philosophy but also now primary concerns of modern Islamic political thought. Inspired by the Christian Reformation, this piece tries to promote an idea of “Islamic Protestantism” by applying deconstruction and socio-historical approach as methods to understand Islamic discourses, texts, and history.