Strengthening Religious Moderation through Academic Culture at Institut Studi Islam Al-Amin Indramayu

Abstract

Religious polarization, weakening dialogic traditions, and rapid digital information flows require Islamic higher education institutions to strengthen religious moderation through daily academic practices. This study analyzes the strengthening of religious moderation through academic culture at Institut Studi Islam Al-Amin Indramayu, focusing on value internalization, the role of academic culture, implementation barriers, and institutional strategies. A descriptive qualitative case-study design was employed. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with six purposively selected informants—one campus leader, two lecturers, one student organization administrator, and two active students—along with non-participant observation of academic and religious activities and document analysis of curricula, semester learning plans, academic guidelines, student programs, and institutional activities. Data were analyzed through reduction, display, and conclusion drawing, while credibility was ensured through source and technique triangulation and member checking. The findings indicate that religious moderation is strengthened through dialogic learning, lecturer role modeling, student organizations, discussion forums, religious activities, and community service. Academic culture provides a practical arena for internalizing tolerance, non-violence, national commitment, and acceptance of local culture. Participants understood moderation as balanced, respectful, context-sensitive, and non-extreme religious practice. However, moderation values have not been consistently translated into measurable learning outcomes and evaluation instruments. Major barriers include unequal student understanding, uncritical exposure to digital religious content, and fragmented institutional evaluation. The study concludes that academic culture is a strategic foundation for religious moderation and should be reinforced through explicit curriculum integration, lecturer development, student-centered programs, religious digital literacy, and continuous evaluation across study programs.