Nostra Aetate and Space for Religious Moderation: Interfaith Dialogue in Multicultural Indonesia

Abstract

The spirit of aggiornamento(bringing up to date) that underpinned the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, and that has continued to be promoted and articulated in everyday human life, is also needed in Indonesia's plural society. This article explores the concept of religious moderation as a translation of the concepts contained within Nostra Aetate (NA), a document produced by Vatican II that has remained little studied despite its promotion of interfaith dialog. Recognizing the limited exploration of NA's actual implementation, this article investigates how the Catholic Church has actualized the moderate principles of NA in its religious and social activities in Indonesia. This article finds that the spirit of aggiornamento has been capable of creating an inclusive Church that positively addresses the world and honors the truths and good found in non-Christian religions. Furthermore, the concept of religious moderation ensconced in NA has also promoted interfaith dialog as a concrete manifestation of the Church's moderate stance. This article recommends that NA be socialized among the Catholics in Indonesia in order to ensure that its and its principles and values are not only recognized by Church leaders, but also by all lay persons; by doing so, these principles and values can be implemented in Catholics' everyday lives.