Multicultural Interpretation and Hermeneutics of Islamic Education Philosophy
Frithjof Schuon's Perennialism Perspective in Urban Society
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37329/kamaya.v9i1.5142Keywords:
Multicultural Interpretation, Philosophical Hermeneutics, Perennialism, Islamic Education, Urban SocietyAbstract
Urban communities face complex challenges in Islamic education due to cultural diversity and tendencies toward religious formalism. As a multi-ethnic city, Palangka Raya requires an inclusive and spiritually meaningful approach to Islamic education. This article analyses the role of multicultural interpretation and philosophical hermeneutics in urban Islamic education through the perspective of Frithjof Schuon's perennialism. This study uses a qualitative approach based on literature studies contextualized with the social reality of Palangka Raya and supported by limited interviews with educators and Islamic education figures. The analysis was conducted interpretively through philosophical synthesis. The results of the study show that multicultural interpretation functions as an inclusive ethical framework, philosophical hermeneutics encourages dialogical and contextual understanding, while Schuon's perennialism becomes a metaphysical foundation that integrates the exoteric and esoteric dimensions. The novelty of this research lies in the formulation of an integrative epistemological framework for the development of Islamic education in urban communities.
References
Abdullah, M. A. (2014). Religion, Science, And Culture: An Integrated, Interconnected Paradigm Of Science. Al-Jami'ah: Journal of Islamic Studies, 52(1), 175-203.
Abdullah, M. A. (2022). Islamic Religious Education Based on Religious Intersubjectivity: Philosophical Perspectives and Phenomenology of Religion. Jurnal Pendidikan Agama Islam, 19(1), 141-163.
Akbar, A. (2020). Philosophical Hermeneutics And Contemporary Muslim Scholars’ Approaches To Interpreting Scripture. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 47(5).
Al-Ababneh, M. M. (2020). Linking Ontology, Epistemology And Research Methodology. Science & Philosophy, 8(1), 75-91.
Al-Jumhuri, M. A. (2023). Building Tolerance and Openness Through Islamic Education: Addressing Cultural and Religious Pluralism. Jurnal Ilmiah Profesi Pendidikan, 8(3), 2055-2065.
Alak, A. I. (2023). The Islamic Humanist Hermeneutics: Definition, Characteristics, And Relevance. Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, 34(4), 313-336.
Altıntaş, M. C. (2021). The Role of Religious Education in the 21st Century: Worldviews and Identity Discernment of Muslim Youth. Ankara: Nobel Bilimsel Eserler.
Anwar, K., Saefulloh, A., Surawan, S., & Nalus, S. (2025). Dayak Ngaju Customary Sanctions as a Rehabilitation Mechanism for Drug Addicts in Central Kalimantan. El-Mashlahah, 15(1), 165-188.
Banks, J. A. (2015). Cultural Diversity And Education: Foundations, Curriculum, And Teaching. New York: Routledge.
Banks, J. A. (2021). Transforming Multicultural Education Policy And Practice: Expanding Educational Opportunity. New York: Teachers College Press.
Burckhardt, T. (2008). Introduction To Sufi Doctrine. Bloomington: World Wisdom.
Connaway, L. S., & Radford, M. L. (2021). Research Methods In Library And Information Science. New York City: Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Firdaus, S. A., & Suwendi, S. (2025). Fostering Social Harmony: The Impact of Islamic Character Education in Multicultural Societies. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 17(1), 942-955.
Fogelberg, K., & Wang, Y. (2023). Educational Philosophy and Philosophers. Educational Principles and Practice in Veterinary Medicine, 1-33.
Gadamer, H. G. (2008). Philosophical Hermeneutics. California: University of California Press.
Ganzevoort, R. R. (2022). Cultural Hermeneutics Of Religion. International Handbook of Practical Theology, 633-645.
Haliza, N., Wahdah, N., Surawan, S., & Awang, S. (2025). Second Account Instagram As Spiritual Spaces For Urban Sufis And Self-Expression On Social Media. Akademika: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam, 30(2), 235-248.
Hovey, R. B., Vigouroux, M., Noushi, N., Pavate, V., & Amja, K. (2022). Applied Philosophical Hermeneutic Research: The Unmethod. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21, 1-9.
Jackson, R. (2014). Signposts-Policy And Practice For Teaching About Religions And Non-Religious World Views In Intercultural Education. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
Jayadi, K., Abduh, A., & Basri, M. (2022). A Meta-Analysis Of Multicultural Education Paradigm In Indonesia. Heliyon, 8(1), e08828.
Khasri, M. R. K., & Afif, F. (2025). Tracing the Discourse of Aristotle’s Metaphysics of Substance in Frithjof Schuon’s Religious Pluralism. Samsara: International Journal of Eastern Philosophy, 1(1), 44-55.
Kögler, H. H. (2020). Tradition, Transcendence, and the Public Sphere - A Hermeneutic Critique of Religion. Berlin Journal of Critical Theory, 4(2), 107-146.
Lahmar, F. (2020). Islamic education: An Islamic “Wisdom-Based Cultural Environment” In Awestern Context. Religions, 11(8), 1-15.
Lourdunathan, S. (2020). Philosophical Hermeneutic of/for Religious Pluralism: Some Methodological Considerations. In Re-thinking Religious Pluralism: Moving Beyond Liberal Tolerance. Singapore: Springer Singapore.
Mahmudulhassan, M., Abuzar, M., Khondoker, S. U. A., & Khanom, J. (2025). The Integration of Islamic Epistemology in Ethical and Multicultural Education: Pedagogical Strategies and Challenges. Multicultural Islamic Education Review, 2(2), 123-135.
Malik, J. (2021). Philosophy Of Perennialism And Its Relevance To Contemporary Islamic Education. Ri'ayah: Jurnal Sosial dan Keagamaan, 6(01), 84-94.
Mengist, W., Soromessa, T., & Legese, G. (2020). Method For Conducting Systematic Literature Review And Meta-Analysis For Environmental Science Research. MethodsX, 7, 100777.
Nasr, S. H. (2006). Islamic Philosophy from its Origin to the Present: Philosophy in the Land of Prophecy. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Nassaji, H. (2020). Good Qualitative Research. Language Teaching Research, 24(4), 427-431.
R’boul, H., Barnawi, O. Z., & Saidi, B. (2024). Islamic Ethics as Alternative Epistemology in Intercultural Education: Educators’ Situated Knowledges. British Journal of Educational Studies, 72(2), 199-217.
Rahman, F. (1982). Islam and modernity: Transformation of an intellectual tradition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Rahman, F. (2024). Islam & Modernity: Transformation Of An Intellectual Tradition. University of Chicago Press.
Risser, J. (2021). The Life Of Understanding: A Contemporary Hermeneutics. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Rogers, A., & Vertovec, S. (2020). The Urban Context: Ethnicity, Social Networks And Situational Analysis. Oxfordshire: Routledge.
Surawan, S., Rusliana, W. G., & Halis, N. (2024). Pendidikan Moderasi Dalam Keluarga: Kristalisasi Beragama Suku Dayak Ngaju. Darul Ilmi: Jurnal Ilmu Kependidikan dan Keislaman, 11(2), 179-195.
Saada, N., & Magadlah, H. (2021). The Meanings and Possible Implications of Critical Islamic Religious Education. British Journal of Religious Education, 43(2), 206-217.
Saihu, M. (2020). Unity In Diversity (Humanism-Theocentric Paradigm Of Social Education In Indonesia). New York City: GlobalEdit.
Saitta, D. (2020). Intercultural Urbanism: City Planning From The Ancient World to the Modern Day. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Santos, K. D. S., Ribeiro, M. C., Queiroga, D. E. U. D., Silva, I. A. P. D., & Ferreira, S. M. S. (2020). The Use Of Multiple Triangulations As A Validation Strategy In A Qualitative Study. Ciencia & Saude Coletiva, 25, 655-664.
Schuon, F. (1984). The Transcendent Unity Of Religions. Wheaton: Quest Books.
Schuon, F. (1993). The Transcendent Unity Of Religions. Wheaton: Quest Books.
Schuon, F. (2014). In the Face of the Absolute: A New Translation with Selected Letters. World Wisdom, Inc.
Schuon, F. (2022). Letters of Frithjof Schuon: Reflections on the Perennial Philosophy: Reflections on the Perennial Philosophy. New York City: Simon and Schuster.
Sitti, M., & Rosyalita, D. (2025). Islamic Education in the Face of Globalization and Modernization Challenges. ARMADA: Jurnal Ar-Ro’is Mandalika, 5(1), 33-41.
Sotillos, S. B. (2020). Religion and Spirituality According to the Perennial Philosophy. London: Matheson Trust.
Thiselton, A. C. (2009). Hermeneutics: An Introduction. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing.
Tobroni, T., Jamil, A. I., Bin, & Firmansyah, E. (2025). Embracing Diversity: Navigating Religious Identity in Multicultural Societies. Online Journal of Research in Islamic Studies, 12(1), 37-60.
Tuna, M. H. (2024). Fundamentals of a Pluralism-Fostering Islamic Religious Education: Navigating Cultural and Religious Dimensions of Plurality. Religious Education, 119(4), 321-337.
Udeani, C. (2021). Intercultural Hermeneutics: Understanding Culture and Religion. LIT Verlag Münster.
Umar, S. (2024). The Role of Teachers in the Context of Multicultural Education to Promote Islamic Values. Journal La Edusci, 5(2), 89-96.
Vertovec, S. (2023). Superdiversity: Migration And Social Complexity. Taylor & Francis.
Wahyuningsih, W. (2025). Text And Context In Interpreting Philosophical Traditions : Global And Islamic Perspectives. IPERCOP: Islamic Perspective on Communication and Psychology, 2(2), 86-101.
Walker, S. (2020). Design And Spirituality: A Philosophy Of Material Cultures. London: Routledge.
Wargo, W., Ahmed, A., & Ansori, A. (2024). How Does Religious Pluralism Affect Islamic Education in a Multicultural Society?. Zabags International Journal of Islamic Studies, 1(1), 22-28.
Zayd, N. A. (2025). Reformation Of Islamic Thought: A critical historical analysis. New York: Routledge.
Zayd, N. H. A. (2004). Rethinking The Qur’ân: Towards A Humanistic Hermeneutics. Utrecht, The Netherlands: Humanistics University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Kamaya: Jurnal Ilmu Agama

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
An author who publishes in the Kamaya : Jurnal Ilmu Agama agrees to the following terms:
- Author retains the copyright and grants the journal the right of first publication of the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal
- Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book) with the acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Author is permitted and encouraged to post his/her work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of the published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Read more about the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.



