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The Construction of Symbolic Capital and the Religious Authority of Local Ulama in the Islamization of Pangandaran Coastal Communities

Definisi: Jurnal Agama dan Sosial Humaniora · Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026) · hlm. 39–56

DOI
10.15575/djash.v4i1.54617
ISSN
2828-7878
Terbit
2026-10-26
Penerbit
Pascasarjana UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung
Bahasa
eng

Abstrak

This study examines the construction of religious authority by local ulama and the process of Islamization in Pangandaran, a coastal region south of West Java, a strategic point of trade and cultural interaction in the archipelago. Islamization in coastal areas is organic and inclusive, unlike in centers of power, because coastal communities are egalitarian, cosmopolitan, and open to change. Local ulama act as social mediators, religious teachers, and interpreters of Islamic values to align with local traditions, making Islamic teachings grounded and relevant in everyday life. The legitimacy of ulama is built through symbolic capital in the form of ulama lineage, personal piety, moral example, knowledge, and charisma, which are reproduced through Islamic boarding school education, religious rituals, and social engagement. Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical approach on habitus, symbolic capital, and social arena, combined with Max Weber's typology of authority, is used to analyze how ulama acquire, maintain, and reproduce religious authority contextually. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with ulama and community leaders, and field documentation, supplemented by secondary data from scientific literature and historical archives. The analysis was conducted using descriptive-analytical and symbolic hermeneutics to interpret religious practices and social interactions as a medium for the reproduction of symbolic capital. The results show that the authority of ulama in Pangandaran is hybrid, combining traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal legitimacy, and functions as a moral, social, and spiritual agent that balances local traditions with Islamic values. Islamization in coastal areas occurs through cultural da'wah and symbolic acculturation, resulting in a moderate, flexible, and inclusive form of Islam. This research enriches the study of the sociology of religion and the anthropology of Islam by emphasizing the symbolic and cultural dimensions of Islamization, while highlighting the role of local ulama as the main drivers of social and spiritual transformation in coastal communities.

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40 penulis · 77 tautan kepenulisan bersama · 21 lintas organisasi · menampilkan 40 yang paling banyak terhubung

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  • Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung
  • Parahyangan Catholic University
  • Padjadjaran University
  • Institut Agama Islam Negeri Kerinci
  • Universitas Islam Negeri Jurai Siwo Lampung
  • Universitas Ahmad Dahlan
  • Universitas Muhammadiyah Bandung
  • Organisasi lain
  • Afiliasi tidak diketahui
  • Organisasi berbeda
  • Organisasi sama
  • Afiliasi tidak diketahui
  • Garis lebih tebal = lebih banyak artikel bersama · lingkaran lebih besar = lebih banyak artikel
Tampilkan sebagai tabel
Rekan penulisOrganisasiArtikel bersama
Paelani SetiaSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung6
Muhammad Yusuf WibisonoSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung5
Yeni HurianiSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung4
Bukhori BukhoriSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung3
Rully Khairul AnwarPadjadjaran University3
Dody S. TrunaSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung3
Asep MuhyidinSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung2
Rifki RosyadSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung2
Dadan RusmanaSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung2
Muhtar Mochamad SolihinSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
R.F. Bhanu ViktorahadiParahyangan Catholic University1
Ahmad Agus SulthonieSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Iman SupratmanAfiliasi tidak diketahui1
Nurul Salis AlaminInstitut Agama Islam Negeri Kerinci1
Siti NurjanahUniversitas Islam Negeri Jurai Siwo Lampung1
Ilim Abdul HalimSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Bernardus Ario Tejo SugiartoParahyangan Catholic University1
Dede HidayatAfiliasi tidak diketahui1
Mulyana MulyanaSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Adon Nasurullah JamaludinAfiliasi tidak diketahui1
Adnan AdnanUniversitas Ahmad Dahlan1
Ahmad RifaiUniversitas Muhammadiyah Bandung1
Muhajirin MuhajirinAfiliasi tidak diketahui1
Afif MuhammadSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Muhammad Zakiyullah RomdlonyTelkom University1
Rosihon AnwarSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Dadang DarmawanSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Andi Muhammad Ali AmiruddinUniversitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar1
Wiryo WiryoSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Syihabul FurqonSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Sri Nur SyifaSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Mujib Hendri AjiSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Muhammad Zainul HilmiSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
M Faizal Zaky MubarokSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Rina FebriyaniSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Asep Iwan SetiawanSunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung1
Fathur RomdhoniSunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta1

Afiliasi berasal dari OpenAlex; metadata OAI-PMH jurnal tidak memuatnya. Penulis tanpa ID OpenAlex dicocokkan berdasarkan nama, sehingga dua orang bisa tergabung atau satu orang bisa terpisah.

Sumber metadata: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.uinsgd.ac.id/index.php/definisi/oai, pertama di-harvest 7 Nov 2026, terakhir terlihat 8 Nov 2026.
Metadata asli (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en-US">The Construction of Symbolic Capital and the Religious Authority of Local Ulama in the Islamization of Pangandaran Coastal Communities</dc:title>
	<dc:creator>Abidin, Jenjen Zainal</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Rahman, Mohammad Taufiq</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Hannah, Neng</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">coastal Islamization</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">local ulama</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">religious authority</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en-US">symbolic capital</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en-US">This study examines the construction of religious authority by local ulama and the process of Islamization in Pangandaran, a coastal region south of West Java, a strategic point of trade and cultural interaction in the archipelago. Islamization in coastal areas is organic and inclusive, unlike in centers of power, because coastal communities are egalitarian, cosmopolitan, and open to change. Local ulama act as social mediators, religious teachers, and interpreters of Islamic values to align with local traditions, making Islamic teachings grounded and relevant in everyday life. The legitimacy of ulama is built through symbolic capital in the form of ulama lineage, personal piety, moral example, knowledge, and charisma, which are reproduced through Islamic boarding school education, religious rituals, and social engagement. Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical approach on habitus, symbolic capital, and social arena, combined with Max Weber's typology of authority, is used to analyze how ulama acquire, maintain, and reproduce religious authority contextually. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with ulama and community leaders, and field documentation, supplemented by secondary data from scientific literature and historical archives. The analysis was conducted using descriptive-analytical and symbolic hermeneutics to interpret religious practices and social interactions as a medium for the reproduction of symbolic capital. The results show that the authority of ulama in Pangandaran is hybrid, combining traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal legitimacy, and functions as a moral, social, and spiritual agent that balances local traditions with Islamic values. Islamization in coastal areas occurs through cultural da'wah and symbolic acculturation, resulting in a moderate, flexible, and inclusive form of Islam. This research enriches the study of the sociology of religion and the anthropology of Islam by emphasizing the symbolic and cultural dimensions of Islamization, while highlighting the role of local ulama as the main drivers of social and spiritual transformation in coastal communities.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en-US">Pascasarjana UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-10-26</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:type xml:lang="en-US">Peer-reviewed Article</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.uinsgd.ac.id/index.php/definisi/article/view/54617</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.15575/djash.v4i1.54617</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en-US">Definisi: Jurnal Agama dan Sosial Humaniora; Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025): Definisi: Jurnal Agama dan Sosial Humaniora ; 39-56</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2828-7878</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.uinsgd.ac.id/index.php/definisi/article/view/54617/17448</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en-US">Copyright (c) 2026 Definisi: Jurnal Agama dan Sosial Humaniora</dc:rights>
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