Varieties of Javanese Religion: An Anthropological Account

291 Pages·1999·1.36 MB·English

by  Andrew Beatty

VARIETIES OF
JAVANESE
RELIGION: An
anthropological account
ANDREW BEATTY
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
VARIETIES OF JAVANESE RELIGION
an anthropological account
Javaisfamousforitscombinationofdiverseculturalformsandreligious
beliefs. Andrew Beatty considers Javanese solutions to the problem of
cultural difference, and explores the ways in which Javanese villagers
makesenseoftheircomplexandmulti-layeredculture.Pantheistmystics,
supernaturalists, orthodox Muslims, and Hindu converts at once con-
structcontrastingfaithsandcreateacommongroundthroughsyncretist
ritual. Vividly evoking the religious life of Javanese villagers, its con-
troversies and reconciliations, its humour and irony, its philosophical
seriousness,anditsformalbeauty,DrBeattyprobesbeyondthefinished
surfaces of ritual and cosmology to show the debate and compromise
inherent in practical religion. This is the most comprehensive study of
JavanesereligionsinceCliffordGeertz’sclassicstudyof1960.
andrew beatty isthe authorof Society andExchange inNias(1992).
He has carried out over four years of field research in Nias and Java,
Indonesia.
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CambridgeStudiesinSocialandCulturalAnthropology
111
VARIETIES OF JAVANESE RELIGION
ThemonographseriesCambridgeStudiesinSocialandCulturalAnthro-
pology publishes analytical ethnographies, comparative works, and con-
tributions to theory. All combine an expert and critical command of
ethnography and a sophisticated engagement with current theoretical
debates.
A list of some other books in the series will be found at the end of the
volume.
FoundingEditors
MeyerFortes,EdmundLeach,JackGoody,StanleyTambiah
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VARIETIES OF JAVANESE
RELIGION
An anthropological account
ANDREW BEATTY
PUBLISHED BY CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS (VIRTUAL PUBLISHING)
FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
CAMBRIDGE
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 IRP
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia

http://www.cambridge.org

© Andrew Beatty 1999
This edition © Andrew Beatty 2003

First published in printed format 1999

A catalogue record for the original printed book is available
from the British Library and from the Library of Congress
Original ISBN 0 521 62444 4 hardback
Original ISBN 0 521 62473 8 paperback

ISBN 0 511 01608 5 virtual (netLibrary Edition)
For Mercedes, Sof´ªa,andDaniel
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Contents
Acknowledgements page x
Glossary xiii
MapofEastJava xv
1 Introduction 1
2 Theslametan:agreeingtodiffer 25
3 Thesanctuary 51
4 AJavanesecult 85
5 PracticalIslam 115
6 Javanism 158
7 SangkanParan:aJavanistsect 187
8 JavaneseHindus 211
9 Conclusion 239
Notes 249
Listofreferences 260
Index 269
ix