Melawan 'Tuhan dan Negara'

Kritik Bakunin terhadap Relasi Kekuasaan Agama-Politik dalam Konteks Indonesia Kontemporer

Abstract

The strengthening alliance between religious and state authorities in post-Reform Indonesia reveals a paradox within democratic development: while political liberalization has expanded, the moralization of public policy through religious influence has intensified. This study aims to examine the relevance of Mikhail Bakunin’s critique in God and the State to the dual authority configuration—spiritual and temporal—within modern Indonesian society. Employing a qualitative approach through literature review and philosophical-critical analysis, Bakunin’s thought is interpreted as a lens to assess how religion-state relations suppress individual freedom, rational autonomy, and pluralism. The research draws on primary sources from Bakunin’s writings and secondary data including journal articles, policy documents, and sociopolitical reports. The findings demonstrate that Bakunin’s triple critique—against theology, statism, and their alliance—offers a sharp analytical framework to understand the mechanisms of domination embedded in Indonesia’s religio-political landscape. His rejection of both divine and bureaucratic legitimacy exposes how moral authority can be transformed into political power that marginalizes dissent and diversity. The study concludes that Bakunin’s perspective is not merely historical but provides a critical tool to evaluate substantive democracy and civil liberties in Indonesia. It challenges the assumption that religious morality and state authority are inherently benevolent, and instead reveals their potential to form structural oppression disguised as rational governance and ethical order.