About Book

This volume presents the proceedings of a conference of the International Association for the History of Religions (IAHR) held in Yogyakarta and Semarang, Indonesia (27 September–3 October 2004). The contributions are multidisciplinary and reflect on how religious harmony may be achieved in diverse societies. Key themes include theoretical orientations to religious plurality, the role of religious education (especially Muslim‑boarding schools or pesantren in Indonesia), local‑level practice of inter‑religious coexistence and conflict, and the intersection of religious, cultural, and educational frameworks in multi‑faith contexts. Case studies span Indonesia and other global contexts, offering reflections on how religions, society and education interact in the pursuit of harmony.In today’s increasingly plural and globalised world, the book offers important insight into the challenges and opportunities of religious coexistence. The focus on education, local practice, and inter‑religious engagement means it has practical relevance for designing programmes in community cohesion, interfaith dialogue, and inclusive educational frameworks. For community engagement, the book suggests that religious education institutions (such as pesantren) and grassroots dialogue can serve as platforms for building understanding and reducing conflict. It also provides empirical cases that can inform the design of interventions in contexts of religious diversity, radicalisation prevention, and social harmony. Thus, it can be a valuable resource for practitioners and scholars working on community‑based mechanisms for interfaith cooperation, religious peacebuilding, and educational reform in multi‑faith societies.Religious Harmony: Problems, Practice, and Education stands as a valuable scholarly contribution to the study of religion, inter‑faith relations, and education in plural societies. With a mix of theoretical and empirical work, it is a meaningful resource for those interested in how religious harmony can be fostered in diverse contexts.The book’s strengths include its rich empirical grounding in Indonesian and wider contexts, its focus on education and local practice (areas sometimes under‑represented in interfaith literature), and its interdisciplinary scope bridging theology, sociology and education. Its selection of contributions from a conference ensures diversity of voices and settings. In terms of limitations, as a proceedings volume the depth of individual chapters may vary and the focus is somewhat regionally centred (Indonesia) which might limit direct generalisability to other contexts without adaptation. Compared to other foundational texts on inter‑faith dialogue or religious pluralism, this work distinguishes itself by emphasising educational institutions (pesantren) and local pluralism rather than only high‑level doctrinal dialogue. Its scholarly depth is solid though some chapters may require readers to have prior familiarity with religious studies or Indonesian context. It is accessible to university‑level scholars and practitioners with interest in religion, education and social harmony.