Ideology, Authority, and Da’wah Communication: A Critical Discourse Study of MUI South Tangerang

Abstract

This study addresses the question of how religious authorities manage da’wah communication amid a multicultural society, the rapid expansion of digital media, and the potential contestation of discourse that may trigger social tensions. It aims to analyze the da’wah communication practices of the Council of Indonesian Ulama (MUI) of South Tangerang City as an arena for the production of ideology and power relations within a multicultural society. Employing a qualitative approach within a critical paradigm, data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, and document analysis, and examined using discourse analysis and source triangulation. The analytical framework draws on Gill Branston and Roy Stafford’s theory of ideology, which encompasses three main pillars: Post-Marxism, Critical Pluralism, and Lived Culture. The findings reveal three main points. First, from a post-Marxist perspective, the MUI’s symbolic power operates through persuasive and decentralized mechanisms involving moral consensus, cultural traditions, digital media literacy, and the adoption of artificial intelligence. Second, through the lens of Critical Pluralism, the MUI regulates discursive contestation by containing furu’iyah issues, curbing the spread of radical ideologies, and monitoring vulnerable religious groups. Third, the values of moderation have been successfully internalized as an organic lived culture and common sense in the everyday practices of the community. The study concludes that the South Tangerang MUI’s da’wah communication represents an articulation of cultural hegemony and symbolic power that adapts to changing circumstances in order to maintain social harmony within a pluralistic society.