Religion and television in Indonesia : ethics surrounding dakwahtainment

Abstract

This monograph provides a critical overview and assessment of dakwahtainment or Islamic televangelism in post-reform Indonesia. Dakwah is an Indonesian word based on Arabic that means propagation of Islam - a religious duty for all Muslims. This monograph looks at what happens to Islamic propagation when, against the background of an increasingly materialist, consumerist, nihilistic and voyeuristic culture of celebrity that is engulfing Indonesia, it is turned into media entertainment. The monograph stems from an action research project on religion and gender in Indonesia, which was supported initially by the Catholic Organisation for Relief and Development Aid and extended with support from the Faculty of Dakwah of the State Islamic University of Sunan Kalijaga and Globethics.net. It is written in a semiacademic style to make the research more accessible and comprehensible for readers.