Religious Tolerance as a Practice of Local Wisdom: The Legacy of Harmony in Dandangan Urban Village as a Pillar of National Social Resilience

Abstract

This study analyzes religious tolerance practices in Dandangan Urban Village, Kediri City, as a form of local wisdom for maintaining harmony in a multicultural environment. It employs a qualitative approach with an instrumental case study design. Two informants were selected purposively: a Muslim community member and a Christian religious leader, both of whom possess an understanding of local social conditions. Data were gathered through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using a reflective thematic approach and validated through source and method triangulation. The study reveals three key findings. First, interfaith interactions occur naturally through greetings, commercial transactions, daily communication, and meetings between religious leaders and community members. Second, stereotypes persist on a small scaleprimarily involving misunderstandings regarding loudspeaker usage and worship timesbut do not escalate into open conflict as they are managed through communication. Third, harmony is sustained through dialogue, mutual respect, adaptability, social closeness, and respect for the ritual autonomy of each religion. Based on these findings, the study formulates the concept of "proximity-based negotiated tolerance"a practice of tolerance maintained through social closeness, direct dialogue, and norms of non-interference regarding the ritual spheres of other groups. This concept is presented as a contextual finding of the case study rather than a universally proven model. The research demonstrates that everyday tolerance practices can serve as social capital to strengthen harmony and social resilience in multicultural environments.