Islamic Personal Religion and Moral Reasoning in Social Justice and Equality: The Evidence From Indonesian College Students

• Published in: The International journal for the psychology of religion 2009-10, Vol.19 (4), p.259-274
• Main Authors: Ji, Chang-Ho C., Ibrahim, Yodi, Kim, Soo Dong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognition & reasoning; College students; Equality; Islam; Islamism; Moral reasoning; Morality; Muslims; Religion & psychology; Religiosity; Social justice
• ISSN: 1050-8619; 1532-7582
• DOI: 10.1080/10508610903143537

Researchers have long been concerned with the relationship between religion and social justice and equality. Hoping to understand this association at the individual level, researchers have taken on the psychological models of personal religion and Kohlberg's moral reasoning. This article extends this line of inquiry to Islam, using Muslim college and graduate students in Indonesia. Specifically, it explores the extent to which religious orientations and Islamic doctrinal orthodoxy relate to Kohlbergian principled reasoning in justice and equality. In view of the results, the Muslim respondents are skewed toward the nonprincipled mode of Kohlbergian moral reasoning. In addition, those with greater intrinsic religiosity are likely to respond in an increasingly principled manner to moral dilemmas, whereas personal extrinsic religiosity tends to increase conventional practice of moral reasoning. Quest religiosity and doctrinal orthodoxy have little to do with Kohlbergian principled reasoning. The implications of these findings are discussed by giving attention to the accent of personal mediation, Islam as a belief system, and congregational worship to principled reasoning in social justice.