Reconciliation and Forgiveness

Christian Collective Memory of Darul Islam/Tentara Islam Indonesia in Seko Lemo from 1951–1965

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46567/ijt.v12i2.467

Keywords:

Darul Islam/Indonesian Islamic Army (DI/TII), collective memory, divine forgiveness, reconciliation, Seko Lemo, perpetrator’s confession

Abstract

The Darul Islam/Indonesian Islamic Army (DI/TII) rebellion in South Sulawesi (1951-1965) left scars in the collective memory of the predominantly Christian region of Seko Lemo. This study examines how these traumatic memories have shaped local reconciliation processes. Taking a phenomenological approach, we conducted interviews with first- and second-generation survivors to understand the dynamics of Christian-Muslim reconciliation over time. We find that reconciliation emerged organically as displaced communities returned from voluntary refuge, developing through familial bonds, intermarriage, and perpetrator confessions and accounts. While Christians have extended forgiveness based on values like praying for one’s adversaries, the process remains predominantly interpersonal and social in nature. This study therefore posits the theological importance of divine forgiveness—understood as God’s grace extended to flawed humanity—as a fundamental framework for sustained processes of deeper reconciliation that foster collective healing and community restoration.

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Author Biographies

Frans Paillin Rumbi, Institut Agama Kristen Negeri Toraja

Frans Paillin Rumbi is a faculty member at Institut Agama Kristen Negeri (IAKN) Toraja. He teaches systematic theology and contextual theology. Between 2022 and 2024, he conducted a research on the collective memory and theology of remembering among survivors of DI/TII rebellion in South Sulawesi.

Yosef Sulle, Institut Agama Kristen Negeri Toraja

Yosef Sulle is a graduate student at IAKN Toraja focusing on systematic theology. He is an ordained minister at Gereja Toraja and served at Gereja Toraja Jemaat Ebenhaezer Kampung Baru, Klasis Seko Lemo, from 2012 to 2019.

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Published

2024-12-24

How to Cite

Rumbi, F. P., & Sulle, Y. (2024). Reconciliation and Forgiveness: Christian Collective Memory of Darul Islam/Tentara Islam Indonesia in Seko Lemo from 1951–1965. Indonesian Journal of Theology, 12(2), 225-248. https://doi.org/10.46567/ijt.v12i2.467

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