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th
 Mepsi (abbreviated from   Erlangga did more or less the same.   religious authority, which were initially   that started in the early period of the 20    reformism has contributed to the rise of
 Madjlis Ekonomi PSII/the   Mostly known as a publisher of school   held by ulamas and their kitab kuning   century. 97  new forms of Islamic religious thinking
 Economic Assembly of   text books since 2002, it established a   as their primary sources of knowledge,   This development can be understood   based on printed media. Especially for
 the PSII) was a magazine   new publishing division for Islamic books.   started to become more varied because   from the fact that the printed media   urban people, oral traditions as the basic
 published by Partai   Up to 2003, it has released no less than   of the rise of printed media: Journals,   means of the transmission of traditional
 Sarekat Islam Indonesia.  17 titles of books on Islamic subjects   newspapers, magazines, and books. The   provides the Muslim community with   Islamic knowledge is of no importance
          easy access to Islamic teachings. The
 Source: National Library   either about Islamic ways of thinking   use of printed media also contributed   Muslim community begins to learn about   and its presence is threatened by the
 of Indonesia.  or easy-going stories. Up to 2002 its   to changes in the Islamic public sphere,   Islam without having to go to or stay in   products of printing machines intended to
 publication Kisah Hikmah had been   where the ulamas no longer were the   pesantrens that used to be considered   be read. Books, magazines, newspapers,
 reprinted five times. 93  only people capable of speaking about   as the most authoritative centers of   and pamphlets contribute to produce
 Islam. The role of the ulamas as the            religious meaning as all of them cause
 Bumi Aksara was established in 1990   sole creators of contemporary Islam   Islamic teachings. They can now easily   significant alterations in the formation
 and it initially focused on publishing   is slowly diminishing, and therefore   find sources of Islamic knowledge in any   of religious authority in Indonesian
 general books on various themes   a fragmentation of religious authority   bookstore, library, and many other places   Muslim society. Here, Islamic reformism
 such as the economy, law, social   among the Muslim community has   that never used to have any relations with   contributes to the construction of the
 issues, electronics, automotive issues,   began. This situation justifies the opinion   Islamic studies.  fundament upon which religious plurality
 education, and other themes. However,   that the rise of public spaces is an   Islam is now conveyed in a more   can be build, a basis where new voices
 in 2000 it created a new specialized   inherent part of modernity. 96  natural way using daily language. The   of Islam can come to the surface.
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 publishing division, i.e. Amzah publisher   classical Islamic texts are no longer   Therefore, the publication of Islamic
 that specifically publishes books on   Therefore, the increase in numbers   consecrated because of the availability   books has laid the foundation for the rise
 Islamic themes. Up to 2006, Amzah has   of publications on Islamic reformism   of modern printed media. This process   of “civil pluralism”  and —presumably—
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 published 79 titles of Islamic books. 94  creates the opportunity for the Muslims   is accelerated by the arrival of translated   for the dissemination of “civilized society”
 with different ideas and orientations to
 Although general publishers published   enter the debates about how Indonesian   editions of various classical texts of   in Indonesia.
 many Islamic books, seen from the   Islam is to be defined. The Muslim   Islam the knowledge of which used to
 marketing side they still lost against   community has begun to participate   be restricted as they only used to be
 Islamic publishers who sometimes came   in issues of Islam and the formation   circulated among religious elites. Thus,
 up with best-selling works. 95  of Islamic opinions and they variously   reading hadiths and the practices of
 interpret Islam along the lines of groups   Islamic rituals is no longer only found
 Concluding Remarks  in pesantrens and only to be known
 with different educational backgrounds
 We may conclude that the publication   and ideologies. All polemics,   by being present before ulamas, but
 of Islamic books is a novel trend in the   debates, discussions, and opposition   also in modern schools and in ordinary
                    98
 transmission of Islamic knowledge.   are principally manifestations and   households.
 The sources of Islamic knowledge and   continuations of Islamic developments   Through this development, Islamic



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