Overview

An investigation into the complex forces that shape Balinese identity. Over the past one hundred years, the Balinese have been challenged by colonial occupation, political turbulence, and, most recently, tourism. In response, they have come to rely on the idea of “Kebalian,” or Balinese-ness. Kebalian is likened to a tree whose roots are religion (agama), the trunk is tradition (adat), and the fruits, Balinese culture (budaya). To understand how this sense of Balinese-ness came to be, Michel Picard examines the dialogues that the Balinese have engaged in both among themselves and with outsiders by conducting over a hundred interviews with Balinese opinion leaders, officials, and religious reformers. A key throughline in the construction of Kebalian is what Picard identifies as a twofold process of “religionization” and “Hinduization.” This process began with the first years of the incorporation of Bali into the Dutch East Indies and became more urgent with Indonesia’s independence. Kebalian today encompasses the tension between those Balinese eager to defend their customary ritual practices and advocates of Hinduism who deny that such local traditions qualify as agama. Kebalian presents a fascinating picture of religious change, identities in motion, and culture. Scholars of religion, cultural change, and Southeast Asian area studies will find this to be a fascinating and important book.

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9789813252424

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Reviews

""Bali has long enjoyed a special standing in Indonesian studies, and no scholar has done more to deepen our appreciation of Balinese history and culture than Michel Picard.  In this beautifully written book, Picard provides his most panoramic account yet of the forging of Balinese identity and religion in modern Indonesia."" -- Robert W. Hefner, Boston University ""Kebalian is the culmination of decades of research on how Balinese have defined themselves in the modern world. It is a magisterial study that gives voice to the Balinese intellectuals who shaped the island in the Twentieth Century. Anyone interested in the forces that shaped Indonesian culture and identity should read it."" – Adrian Vickers, University of Sydney

"""Bali has long enjoyed a special standing in Indonesian studies, and no scholar has done more to deepen our appreciation of Balinese history and culture than Michel Picard.  In this beautifully written book, Picard provides his most panoramic account yet of the forging of Balinese identity and religion in modern Indonesia."" -- Robert W. Hefner, Boston University ""Kebalian is the culmination of decades of research on how Balinese have defined themselves in the modern world. It is a magisterial study that gives voice to the Balinese intellectuals who shaped the island in the Twentieth Century. Anyone interested in the forces that shaped Indonesian culture and identity should read it."" – Adrian Vickers, University of Sydney"

Author Information

Michel Picard is a retired researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and a founding member of the Centre Asie du Sud-Est.

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