ARTICLES

Thai Monks who Drink and Their Lay Supporters

Thomas Borchert

Recent media reporting about a Thai monk caught drunk and indecently exposed follows a long line of attention-grabbing headlines about monastic misbehaviour. Even so, Thai attitudes about such rule-breaking are more nuanced than these reports would suggest.

Nahdlatul Ulama’s Traditionalist Campaign Shaping Mainstream Indonesian Islamic Discourse

Wasisto Raharjo Jati

Since 2014, it has appeared as though the traditionalists in Nahdlatul Ulama have won the upper hand in influencing the Islamic discourse in Indonesia, having pushed back against hardline and conservative elements. However, the conservatives remain a critical opposition, and sharp ideological differences will keep tensions simmering.