Narratives Of Religious Tolerance And Interreligious Harmony In Online Media: A Comparative Religion Perspective

Abstract

This study examines how narratives of tolerance and inter-religious harmony are constructed and disseminated through online media platforms in Indonesia. Using a library research approach with a comparative religion perspective, this study reviews various recent scientific sources discussing inter-religious relations in cyberspace. Findings indicate that online media plays a complex dual role: on one hand serving as an effective medium for spreading tolerance discourse, while on the other potentially becoming an arena for reproducing intolerance through provocative content. Harmony narratives constructed in online media draw from local wisdom values, teachings of major religions, and the state's ideological constructs embedded in Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. The comparative religion perspective enables the identification of common ground among Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism in responding to differences and pluralism. This study concludes that religious digital literacy constitutes a strategic instrument in strengthening tolerance narratives amid rapid digitalization. Policy and academic recommendations are presented to promote the optimization of online media as a vehicle for sustainable inter-religious harmony in Indonesia.