Pesantren
Lamongan, NU Online
Deputy chairman of the Lamongan chapter of Nahdlatul Ulama KH Ahmad Suyuthi said that he did agree with the statement made by Clifford Geertz, when writing about Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) and their kyai that they would not be able to meet the educational needs of a modernizing country.
"Actually I do not agree with the Geertz's statement that pesantren would not be capable of keeping up with any emerging modernity,"he told NU Online here on Thursday.
Kiai Suyuthi was of the view that Geertz was not optimistic about the ability of kyai to be cultural brokers between Indonesia and modernity.
"Kyai (clerics) have contradicted Geertz’s statement. Whereas they are not just translating modernity to Indonesia, but are entering into processes of negotiation," he said, adding that kiai should be capable of (re)inventing modernity so that it is both Indonesian and Islamic.
A key component of this is creating a modernity that is subject to traditional morality. This requires that they must also (re)invent tradition so that it can be used to temper modernity. (Masdar)
Deputy chairman of the Lamongan chapter of Nahdlatul Ulama KH Ahmad Suyuthi said that he did agree with the statement made by Clifford Geertz, when writing about Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) and their kyai that they would not be able to meet the educational needs of a modernizing country.
"Actually I do not agree with the Geertz's statement that pesantren would not be capable of keeping up with any emerging modernity,"he told NU Online here on Thursday.
Kiai Suyuthi was of the view that Geertz was not optimistic about the ability of kyai to be cultural brokers between Indonesia and modernity.
"Kyai (clerics) have contradicted Geertz’s statement. Whereas they are not just translating modernity to Indonesia, but are entering into processes of negotiation," he said, adding that kiai should be capable of (re)inventing modernity so that it is both Indonesian and Islamic.
A key component of this is creating a modernity that is subject to traditional morality. This requires that they must also (re)invent tradition so that it can be used to temper modernity. (Masdar)
