Churches Political Participation in Indonesia: The Case Study of GKII

Indonesian churches face challenges and opportunities to engage in politics in certain situations. Responding to those, GKII through its teaching and discipleship demonstrates the political attitudes, beliefs and ethics regarding its political involvement in Indonesia. This research was conducted using a qualitative research approach to achieve the research objectives. The results show that GKII, as a church institution, is starting to be involved in nation-building after being inactive decades before. Practically, politics is the formation and distribution of power in society, which includes, among other things, the decision-making process, especially in state life. Therefore, GKII acknowledges and realises that its people, as church members and Indonesian citizens, have political rights, responsibilities and obligations towards the state. Every aspect of social, national, and state life is regulated by the political process in which the results are implemented accordingly. Politics is an integral part of humans as moral and social creatures with a divine mandate to rule. This implies that humans are both political and spiritual creatures. Religious institutions, such as churches, can mobilise people politically and act as intermediaries between individuals and the state. GKII also believes that the involvement of the past biblical figures in their world of politics can be a strong example for church members today. Those biblical figures and teachings have been deemed models by some Christians for their political involvement.