Theology of Religious Moderation: An Abrahamic Religious Perspective

This article aims to analyze the theology of religious moderation within the Abrahamic perspective (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism), focusing on the challenges of intolerance and exclusivism that persist in Indonesia. Social phenomena indicate that although the Religious Harmony Index (KUB) in 2021 recorded a score of 72.39, practices of discrimination, rejection of houses of worship, and hate speech in digital spaces remain prevalent. A Setara Institute survey (2021) revealed that 25.6% of young respondents considered other religions “deviant,” highlighting the gap between pluralistic discourse and social reality. The study employs a qualitative, literature-based approach, using comparative analysis of sacred texts (the Qur’an, the Bible, and the Tanakh) alongside academic works and public policy documents on religious moderation. The analysis emphasizes how universal values such as wasathiyyah and rahmatan lil-‘alamin in Islam, agape and peace in Christianity, as well as tikkun olam and shalom in Judaism, can be reconstructed as theological foundations for moderation. The findings demonstrate that religious moderation is not an imported concept but an authentic teaching embedded within Abrahamic traditions. The convergence of these values offers opportunities to strengthen interfaith dialogue, integrate moderation into educational curricula, and support more inclusive public policies. Accordingly, this study focuses on the Abrahamic contribution in addressing the ambivalence of religion as both a source of peace and potential conflict while positioning Indonesia as a global laboratory for religious moderation.