From Constantinople to Nusantara: The Contemporary Dynamics and Challenges of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Mission in Indonesia

Abstract This research is dedicated to analysing the existence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate mission in Indonesia and its current position in the context of contemporary socio-political dynamics in Indonesia. Subsequently, this paper will analyze how the Ecumenical Patriarchate mission came to Indonesia and how it developed its missionary efforts up to this day. This paper will also address the challenges the Ecumenical Patriarchate encounters throughout its mission, both internal and external. Further, it argues that both the internal dynamics within the Ecumenical Patriarchate community in Indonesia and the external factors, such as the rigid definition of ‘legal religious community’ in Indonesia, hinder the Ecumenical Patriarchate from obtaining full-fledged recognition from the Indonesian government. This research will engage with the concept of religious freedom to fully comprehend the perilous plight of the Ecumenical Patriarchate community in Indonesia.