Moderation of Religion in the Age of Information Disruption
Author: Dr. Dharma Leksana, M.Th., M.Si.
In an era where truth moves as fast as a click and belief is measured by virality, the book Moderation of Religion in the Age of Information Disruption poses a defining question for the digital civilization: how can faith remain wise, compassionate, and credible when information itself is in chaos? Through a blend of theology, philosophy, communication theory, and digital ethics, Dr. Dharma Leksana examines how Indonesia’s ancient wisdom—embodied in the motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) and the Pancasila ideology—can guide humanity through the moral turbulence of the algorithmic age.
This book traces the transformation of religion from a sacred narrative into a contested digital spectacle. Beginning with an analysis of Indonesia as a pluralistic nation, where harmony is both an inheritance and a struggle, the author then moves to trace the philosophical lineage of tolerance from the concept of Tan Hana Dharma Mangrwa to modern interfaith cooperation.
In the middle chapters, the author dissects the anatomy of intolerance and polarization, demonstrating how digital platforms amplify division and reward extremism. He introduces the concept of the “algorithmic pulpit,” where unseen systems determine which voices of faith are heard and which are silenced. Hoaxes, radicalism, and the subtle tyranny of algorithmic bias emerge not merely as social problems, but as theological challenges—calling believers to reclaim discernment as a sacred virtue.
The book’s final synthesis proposes a vision of “transcendent digital ethics”: an integrative moral framework that unites faith and information, spirituality and science. Here, moderation is redefined not as passive neutrality, but as active wisdom—a dynamic balance between conviction and compassion, reason and reverence.
Rich with Indonesian philosophical imagery and informed by global scholarship, the book offers a rare synthesis: it is both a theological meditation and a manual for moral survival in an age of machines. It invites readers to rediscover faith not as an echo chamber of certainty, but as a luminous space of discernment where the human spirit can remain free, even in the shadow of algorithms.
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