The Banalization of the Sacred: Religious Moral Conflicts and Identity Performance in the Indonesian Digital Landscape

Abstract

This research explores the phenomenon of the “banalization of the sacred” within Indonesia's digital public sphere, where religion has shifted from a source of absolute moral values to an instrument for identity performance. Employing the philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur, this article analyzes the transformation of religious texts as they navigate the turbulence of social media. Through a study of viral religious discourses, the research identifies three crucial hermeneutic moments: distanciation, where texts are detached from their original context and authorial intent; clash of horizons, representing the failed dialogue between religious tradition and modernity; and appropriation, where individuals adopt religious interpretations primarily to construct public personas. The primary finding suggests that religious moral conflicts on social media are not merely theological disputes but symptoms of a deeper epistemological crisis in the post-authority era. The study concludes that the sacred is undergoing a process of banalization, as interpretive authority shifts from formal institutions to individual netizens, ultimately transforming religion into a repertoire of symbols for digital identity performance