Religious Moderation in Muhammadiyah and NU Pesantren: A Comparative Systematic Review

Abstract

This article comparatively reviews how religious moderation is conceptualized and cultivated in pesantren associated with Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Although both organizations are frequently described as pillars of moderate Indonesian Islam, their pesantren traditions developed through different intellectual, cultural, and organizational pathways. A qualitative comparative systematic review was conducted on 18 traceable sources, comprising peer-reviewed studies, academic books, and a national policy document. The synthesis identifies a shared normative horizon—balanced religious judgment, national commitment, tolerance, non-violence, and public responsibility—but different institutional mechanisms. NU pesantren generally cultivate moderation through Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah ethics, plurality within the Sunni legal schools, turath and kitab-kuning learning, kiai authority, adab, and accommodation of local culture. Muhammadiyah pesantren more often express moderation through tajdid, Islam Berkemajuan, integrated religious and general curricula, collective-organizational governance, disciplined character education, and social service. The comparison shows that these are ideal-typical tendencies rather than fixed organizational essences. Both traditions rely on hidden curricula, exemplary leadership, peer communities, and engagement with wider society; both may also experience formalism, insufficient exposure to religious difference, and tension between inherited authority and critical deliberation. The article proposes a comparative institutional-ecology model in which moderation is produced not by doctrine alone but through the interaction of epistemology, curriculum, authority, culture, governance, and civic practice. Convergence in outcomes does not require identical pedagogies, but credible moderation requires observable commitments to citizenship, dialogue, non-violence, cultural respect, and accountable treatment of internal diversity.