432 Book Reviews

Jeremy J. Kingsley, Religious Authority and Local Governance in Eastern Indonesia.

Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2018, x + 198 pp. ISBN: 9780522871302,
price: USD 49.99 (paperback).

In Religious Authority and Local Governance in Eastern Indonesia, Jeremy Kings-

ley examines the role of Lombok’s religious leaders (Tuan Guru) who assert
direct influence on the everyday lives of Muslims on this eastern Indonesian
island. The obedience that these religious leaders receive from society illumin-
ates the integral functions of these non-state actors in resolving local conflicts,
especially during election periods. Most studies on religious leaders in Indone-
sia focus on their role in the rituals of religious institutions such as pesantren
(Islamic boarding school) (Dhofier 1985; Muhaimin 2006) and tarekat (Sufi
orders) (Christomy 2008; Zamhari 2009). Less attention has been paid to their
place in local politics and governance. Recent studies conducted by Turmudi
(2006) on Java and Pribadi (2018) on Madura examine the role of religious lead-
ers (Kiai) in politics. Turmudi concludes that although the Kiai is a charismatic
figure, his influence in politics is not significant. Pribadi, however, found that
that they are key protagonists in the local politics of Madura. Kingsley’s book
contains similar findings.
The book consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 points to the crucial role of
Tuan Guru as socio-political players in the operation of law and governance
in Indonesia, particularly after the fall of president Soeharto (p. 12). Chapter 2
explores pesantren Darul Falah and the ways Tuan Guru work actively through
sermons and issue instructions to their communities. Referring to Max Weber’s
notion of charisma, Kingsley argues that the religious capabilities of Tuan Guru
cause them to be treated as guardians of local knowledge. This in turn yields
a relationship that is pivotal to the governance arrangements of Lombok. As
Kingsley puts it, this relationship resonates within the fabric of the local gov-
ernance and its negotiations with non-state actors. This chapter, then, demon-
strates the ability of Tuan Guru to enforce rules and establish their authority
within “Lombok’s socio-political elites” (pp. 23–27).
Chapter 3 looks at the embodiment of religious authority. This chapter
describes the interactions between religious and political elites as part of
longer intellectual narratives of Islamic governance. By focusing on the Tuan
Guru Haji Mustiadi Abhar, the leader of the Darul Falah pesantren, Kingsley
finds that this is not just a boarding school but rather a network of religious
leadership involving political actors and driving local governance on Lombok
(pp. 37–40). As Kingsley acknowledges, Tuan Guru do not form a homogenous
entity (p. 30).

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Book Reviews 433

Chapter 4 examines how religious authority is nurtured in the pesantren

Darul Falah, calling attention to its religious network and the practical con-
nections of this religious community to local governance. Chapter 5 discusses
the assertion of leadership by the Tuan Guru to handle cases related to local
elections, showing how Tuan Guru have successfully become agents of conflict
resolution in society (p. 125). Chapter 6, the concluding chapter, describes the
social networking of state and non-state actors forming what Kingsley calls “the
fabric of local governance” on Lombok. The author explains at length a local
mechanism—called mushawara—of handling tension, which he points out
is uncommon in the legal systems elsewhere: “[a] mushawara, or community
meeting, is likely to be out of place in the Australian or American legal systems,
but across Indonesia these community meetings are considered part of the
‘social contract’ within communities” (p. 145). The role of Tuan Guru in these
community meetings is to ensure that the conflicting parties agree to reach a
conflict resolution (pp. 147).
Kingsley’s book is clearly written. It demonstrates the utility of existing ana-
lytical frameworks, but also criticizes them wherever deemed necessary. Some
typos can be found in book. In the Bibliography, Turmudi (2007) should be Tur-
mudi (2006). Another book by Turmudi contains the misspelling “Kekausaan”
for Kekuasaan (p. 186). However, these are minor quibbles, overshadowed by
the book’s magnificent analysis on the concept of Tuan Guru.
My own findings in Bima, on the island of Sumbawa, located in the same
province as Lombok, show that the concept of Tuan Guru is used interchange-
ably with Lebe (Imam). In practice, Lebe are charge of leading the prayer in a
mosque. In other words, all Tuan Guru in Bima are also Imam and provide reli-
gious services at the mosques across the island of Bima Sultan, in support of
the latter’s authority (Sila 2015, 2020). This shows that even in the same loc-
ality, concept of religious leaders may differ. My suggestion, therefore, is that
the notion of “Eastern Indonesia” is overly broad. More comparative studies
are needed on the nature of Tuan Guru in relation to various other types of
religious leaders in other eastern Indonesia islands.
Kingsley’s book is exceptionally significant to ongoing scholarly debates
in two important ways. Firstly, it represents the still limited field of religious
leaders and politics in eastern Indonesia. We have so far been overwhelmed
by recent anthropological works on the same topic with a focus on Java and
Madura (Hefner 2000; Muhaimin 2006; Pribadi 2018). Secondly, the book con-
tributes to scholarship on the key role of religious leaders as active agents in
conflict-resolution. The potential readership of this book includes academic
individuals, both undergraduates and graduate students, devoted to the study
of anthropology, comparative religion, Southeast Asian studies, and Islamic
studies.

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434 Book Reviews

Muhammad Adlin Sila

Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA);
Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, Indonesia
silaadlin2000@gmail.com; muhammad.adlin@uinjkt.ac.id

References

Christomy, Tommy (2008). Signs of the Wali: Narratives at the Sacred Sites in Pamijahan,
West Java. Canberra: ANU E-Press.
Dhofier, Zamakhsyari (1982). Tradisi pesantren: studi tentang pandangan hidup kyai.
Jakarta: LP3ES.
Hefner, Robert W. (2000). Civil Islam: Muslims and Democratization in Indonesia. United
Kingdom: Princeton University Press.
Muhaimin, AG (2006). The Islamic Tradition of Cirebon: Ibadat and Adat among Javanese
Muslims. Canberra: ANU E-Press.
Pribadi, Yanwar (2018). Islam, State and Society in Indonesia: Local Politics in Madura.
Routledge.
Sila, Muhammad Adlin (2015). Mauduʾ: A Way of Union With God. Canberra: ANU Press.
Sila, Muhammad Adlin (2020). ‘Lebe and Sultan: Serving the Mosque and Sustaining
Royal Authority’. In Mosques and Imam: Everyday Islam in Eastern Indonesia. Edited
by Kathryn M. Robinson. Singapore: NUS (in print).
Turmudi, Endang (2006). Struggling for the Umma: Changing Leadership Roles of Kiai
in Jombang, East Java. Canberra: ANU E-Press.
Zamhari, Arif (2010). Rituals of Islamic Spirituality: A Study of Majlis Dhikr Groups in
East Java. ANU E-Press.

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