Religious Freedom and Constitutional Justice in Indonesia: Reconstructing the Legal Protection of Religious Minorities through a Theological Justice Framework

Abstract

Religious freedom is constitutionally protected in Indonesia, yet religious minorities may continue to experience restrictions in accessing places of worship, expressing religious beliefs, and participating equally in public life. This article examines the relationship between constitutional protection of religious freedom and theological conceptions of justice in Indonesia. Using normative juridical and theological analysis, the study examines constitutional principles, human rights norms, Indonesian regulations concerning religious freedom, and theological understandings of human dignity, equality, and justice. The article argues that constitutional protection alone may be insufficient when regulatory practices and social institutions reproduce unequal treatment toward religious minorities. A theological justice framework can contribute to the interpretation of religious freedom by emphasizing the equal dignity of persons regardless of religious affiliation. Rather than replacing constitutional reasoning with theological norms, the proposed framework positions theological ethics as a critical resource for evaluating whether legal institutions adequately protect vulnerable religious communities. The study further argues that justice in a religiously plural society requires not merely tolerance but substantive equality, institutional impartiality, and protection against coercion. Integrating theological reflection with constitutional and human rights analysis may therefore strengthen Indonesia's model of religious pluralism while contributing to a more inclusive conception of justice.