Prof. Dr. Media Zainul Bahri
RELIGION IS A TRADITION, understood as something that is believed, practiced, and interpreted by humans. We cannot verify whether angels or God themselves adhere to a religion. While sacred texts suggest that angels or jinn engage in worship, this is not something we can observe with our senses; it remainsunobservableOnly humans, with all their complexities, are visibly seen to believe in, understand, and practice religion, passing it down through generations over centuries. This is what we refer to as “tradition” orreligious tradition).
The tradition evolved over time, becoming increasingly complex due to the close relationship between religious texts and their cultural context, which includes aspects such as culture, economy, and politics. Additionally, the social dynamics between religious individuals and the interactions between religious and non-religious people contributed to this development.
Jika para ilmuwan Eropa sejak masa modern, terutama di abad 19 Masehi, menyebut agama—bersama-sama dengan institusi pendidikan, birokrasi, negara, pariwisata, ekonomi dan lain-lain– sebagai “penemuan manusia”, saya lebih suka menyebut agama sebagai tradisi. Agama-agama yang hidup (living religions), yang awal kemunculannya banyak meminjam “tradisi lokal” di tempat agama itu lahir, kini ikut mengembangkan tradisi umat manusia. Continue reading “Agama Adalah Tradisi”
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