The role of social capital in shaping religious conflict: A study of Islamic communities in Pasuruan regency, Indonesia

Religious conflict remains a pressing issue in plural societies, particularly where political and social tensions intersect with religious identity. In Indonesia, one of the world’s largest Muslim-majority countries, understanding the drivers of religious conflict at the local level is vital for fostering social cohesion. This study investigates the role of social capital—specifically bonding, bridging, and linking—in influencing religious conflict in Pasuruan Regency, East Java, with particular attention to the mediating roles of political and social conflict. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected through structured face-to-face interviews with 400 respondents, selected using multi-stage sampling. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS was employed to analyze both direct and indirect relationships between the constructs. The results reveal that bonding and bridging significantly reduce political and social conflict, which in turn significantly reduce religious conflict. However, their direct effects on religious conflict are not significant. Linking was found to significantly reduce social conflict but did not show a significant influence on political or religious conflict directly. Indirect effect analysis confirmed that bonding, bridging, and linking can mitigate religious conflict through their effects on political and social tensions. This study contributes to the growing literature on social capital and conflict by highlighting the importance of indirect pathways. Practically, the findings suggest that policies aiming to reduce religious conflict should strengthen both horizontal (bonding and bridging) and vertical (linking) social ties, while also addressing underlying political and social grievances. The study underscores the need for integrated, community-based conflict prevention strategies.