Abstract
Who is more authoritative in
researching certain religious minorities, insider
or outsider? How to apply the concept
of ‘detachment’, ‘neutrality’, and ‘bracketing’ in studying religious groups
officially declared by majority of ulama and mainstream religious organizations
as deviant cults like Ahmadiyah? And how would the various concepts, methods,
and scientific theories, such as ‘going native’ and ‘participant observation’
be applied in the field? How to negotiate between faith and science, our
identity as part of religious mainstream and orthodox group in studying
communities deemed ‘heretic’? How does researcher’s identity as a non-Ahmadi
affect his research and judgment about Ahmadiyah? This paper intends to discuss
the author’s experience in studying Ahmadiyah, in applying various theories and
academic principles in the study of this community, and how to behave towards
individual conflicts and controversies surrounding Ahmadiyah issues. This paper
is based on seven-year experience of living with, studying, and participating
in the activities of Ahmadiyah in Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, India, England,
and the United States.
Keywords:
Ahmadiyah, identity, insider vs. outsider, orthodoxy vs. heterodoxy,
conversion, scholarship.
Abstrak
Siapa yang lebih otoritatif dalam melakukan penelitian tentang kelompok
minoritas agama tertentu,Insider atau
outsider? Bagaimana menerapkan konsep
detachment, neutrality, dan bracketing
dalam mengkaji kelompok yang oleh mayoritas ulama difatwakan and berbagai ormas
keagamaan sebagai aliran sesat seperti Ahmadiyah? Dan bagaimana pula berbagai
konsep tersebut dihadapkan dengan metode penelitian lapangan yang disebut
dengan going native dan participant observation? Sejauhmana
identitas peneliti sebagai non-Ahmadi mempengaruhi penelitian dan penilaian
tentang Ahmadiyah? Tulisan ini merupakan refleksi akademik terkait pengalaman
penulis dalam mengkaji Ahmadiyah, dalam menerapkan berbagai teori dan prinsip
akademik dalam kajian tentang komunitas ini, dan bagaimana penulis bersikap
terhadap berbagai konflik individu serta kontroversi seputar isu Ahmadiyah.
Tulisan ini didasarkan pada tujuh tahun pengalaman hidup, bergaul, mengkaji,
and berpartisipasi dengan beragam aktivitas Ahmadiyah di Indonesia, Singapura,
Jepang, India, Inggris, dan Amerika Serikat.
Kata
Kunci: Ahmadiyah, identitas, insider
vs. outsider, going native, ortodoksi vs. heterodoksi pindah agama,
kesarjanaan.
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| Makam Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (foto: Ahmad Najib Burhani) |
http://jurnalharmoni.kemenag.go.id/index.php/harmoni/article/view/15
