Sabattical lecture with Dr. June McDaniel on Why Many Gods Become One God:  Indonesia’s Strategy For Avoiding Jihad

3:30-5:00 pm Arnold Hall, Jewish Studies Center

In Indonesia, the government has supported peace between the religions by  rewriting all of major religions as forms of monotheism.  This has created a   single common definition of religion, and a set of understandings and values shared by all accepted religions.  This paper will examine how interpretations of religion have been changed by this process, and how the government has used interfaith dialogue to combat the pressures of more militant forms of Islam.