Since the restoration of Borobudur Temple and its introduction to the world by Thomas Stamford Raffles more than two centuries ago, hundreds of papers and academic works have been published in attempts to interpret its grandeur. Yet a critical question arises: to what extent are these writings grounded in sound research methodology, and how many instead remain trapped in the biases of colonial assumptions and the lenses of modern Orientalism?

This fundamental challenge lies at the heart of a presentation by Dr. Hudaya Kandahjaya titled “Borobudur: Research Methodology.” The talk was delivered at the Wednesday Forum. Through a rigorous methodological lens, Dr. Kandahjaya invited the audience to deconstruct and rethink the ways in which the world has come to view Borobudur. read more

Photo Source: IWFP 2026 Instagram

Rahmad Setyoko

Vesak derives from the name of the second month in the ancient Indian calendar. This month is considered especially sacred for Buddhists because it marks the three major events in the life of Buddha: his birth, enlightenment, and passing away, all of which are commemorated on the full moon day of Vesak. The peak of the national Vesak celebration in Indonesia takes place at Borobudur Temple, where thousands of Buddhists from various traditions gather in a solemn spiritual atmosphere. Vesak celebrations at Borobudur date back to the 1930s through the activities of the Theosophical community and later became a major milestone in the revival of Buddhism in Indonesia when the national Vesak celebration was officially held there in 1953. Since then, Borobudur has remained an important pilgrimage site and symbol of Indonesian Buddhism. Sacred rituals are performed throughout the celebration, including the collection of blessed water, the eternal Dharma flame, circumambulation around the temple, and the release of lanterns symbolizing hope and inner illumination. Yet Vesak is not merely an annual religious ceremony. It is also a moment to revive the values of compassion, wisdom, and peace in everyday life. read more

Anthon Jason

Imagine being told that your village is destined to become a hero in saving the planet from a looming climate apocalypse. Yet the price you must pay is the roar of excavators and giant drilling machines operating just one meter from your bedroom wall, along with the constant threat of lethal toxic gas spewing from the cornfields where you earn your daily living. For policymakers in the capital, this is merely a “tolerable form of mitigation” in pursuit of renewable energy ambitions. For villagers, however, it is nothing less than the violation of their basic right to live. read more

Anthon Jason

Countless believers long for paradise in the hereafter, a place that holy scriptures so often portray in poetic language as a lush garden with crystal-clear rivers flowing beneath it. Yet a tragic irony rarely enters our collective consciousness: while humanity races to secure a mystical heaven in the next life, it is systematically destroying the very “paradise” God has already entrusted to us on Earth.

This paradox is the key question introduced by Dr. Dicky Sofjan in his presentation at the Wednesday Forum at UGM Graduate School on April 15, 2026. Dr. Dicky Sofjan is an Associate Professor of Inter-Religious Studies in the graduate school of Universitas Gadjah Mada and the CEO of Nglanggeran Eco Village. Choosing a theme that is both sharp and grounded in everyday realities, his talk moved beyond familiar, worn-out theological arguments. Instead, it drilled into a critical question that religious institutions often avoid: “Who should pay the bill for ecological sustainability?” read more

Anthon Jason

Have you ever considered that the daily bureaucratic routines we endure, such as fingerprint attendance at the office or Monday flag ceremonies, may have their roots in spiritual practices from thousands of years ago? This is one of the striking ideas presented by Professor Al Makin at the Wednesday Forum on 8 April 2026. Drawing on 25 years of experience teaching philosophy, the professor took the audience on a journey across time and space to unpack a crucial question: Does Indonesia have its own philosophical tradition, and has its location in the so-called Ring of Fire helped shape the way we think? It was the key question raised at the beginning of the forum by the moderator that day. read more

Fransiska Yohana Sri Winarsih

Modernity is largely defined by an anthropocentric approach—a worldview where humans are separate from and superior to nature. In this framework, land is a “lifeless object” to be exploited for gross domestic product (GDP) and individual gain. Anisa Eka Putri Kusmayani’s research into the Baduy community of Banten Province provides a radical departure from this. The Baduy, divided into the Inner (Kanekes) and Outer communities, live by a philosophy of “entanglement.” For them, well-being is not found in the accumulation of capital but in the harmony between the human, the spiritual, and the environmental. read more

Angie Olivia Wuysang

Easter is the foundational event of the Christian faith and the centerpiece of its global calendar. It is celebrated by more than two billion people in every corner of the world.  Historically, the dating of Easter has been a point of debate since the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD (Konsili Nicaea), which sought to separate the Christian celebration from the Jewish Passover. This historical rift deepened in 1582 when the Western church adopted the Gregorian calendar, while Eastern Orthodox churches remained committed to the Julian calendar. Consequently, while Western and Eastern Orthodox churches often celebrate on different Sundays because they use different calendars, the message remains the same.   read more

Hongsok Lee

The term “bapak rumah tangga” (house husband) remains unusual among Indonesians, as domestic responsibilities are mostly still linked to the wives. On the other hand, the practice of househusband is already recognized and practiced in several areas in Indonesia, providing intriguing curiosity towards the discourse of gender roles in Indonesia. This phenomenon brought Alimatul Qibtiyah, a professor in gender studies at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and the associate director of the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), to explore the emerging phenomenon of men who take on domestic and caregiving roles within Indonesian families. On March 11, 2026, she presented her research in the weekly Wednesday Forum hosted by  Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Interreligious Studies Doctoral Program (IRS UGM), Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (CRCS UGM) and ICRS. read more

Usman

Eid al-Fitr is a religious moment eagerly awaited by Muslims after completing the fasting of Ramadan. Symbolically, Eid al-Fitr is understood as a return to fitrah (human purity). However, etymologically, Eid al-Fitr actually means “the day of returning to breaking the fast” or “the day of returning to eating (al-fithr),” referring to the word ifthar (breaking the fast). In a social context, Eid al-Fitr serves as a momentum to strengthen solidarity through traditions of silaturahmi (social bonding), visiting one another, exchanging forgiveness, and renewing human relationships. read more

Fransiska Yohana Sri Winarsih

In 1993, Samuel Huntington published a series of articles that later became a book. He highlights the challenges posed by Islamic values to the embrace of Western liberal democracy. People tend to think that Islamic values are static and rigid. Huntington argues that Islam is naturally incompatible with democracy, which requires flexibility, adaptability, and participation.

Looking at the world’s history, Robert W. Hefner argues that establishing democracy is not an easy task for any civilization, including the West, the place where democracy was born. The West has experienced civil wars and revolutions in its effort to establish democracy, and believing that democracy is straightforward for the West is simply misguided. Anywhere in the world, democracy presents challenges and is often accompanied by conflict. Most European societies underwent democratization during periods of interaction between religion and the state. This suggests that the active involvement of religions, represented by religious institutions, in democratic life is not antithetical to democracy; the two can coexist and influence one another. read more