Strategic syncretism: Sorcery, magic, and supernatural belief in modern Indonesia

Abstract

Using the conceptual framework of the politics of religious synthesis and occult economies, this paper discusses the way indigenous religious beliefs and practices in magic and sorcery continues in modern Indonesian society. The paper discusses examples obtained from a literature study or desk review, particularly of academic studies published until 2010. While these examples are dated, this paper’s discussion nonetheless illustrates patterns that are of interest in the sociology and anthropology of religion in Indonesia.   First, the paper argues that Indonesia’s history as a palimpsest of social and religious contact sets the foundation for practices of religious synthesis. Second, various examples illustrate the way in which indigenous communities strategically use syncretism to face contemporary pressures of religious modernization. Finally, the paper discusses examples in which the enduring social, political, and economic uncertainty of post-New Order decentralized Indonesia becomes a fertile ground for the continuation of magic and sorcery as ways in which people understand and imagine resource accumulation.