Expanding religious freedom through organization forms: Kebatinan, Sufism and the global growth movement in indonesia’s spiritual training industry

In Indonesia, the practice of religious freedom remains deeply contested, with marginal spiritual movements often subject to stricter limitations than their officially recognized counterparts. This paper investigates two hybrid spiritual groups in contemporary Indonesia, Bhakti Nusantara and Bionergi, based in Yogyakarta, which integrate elements of Javanese spiritual traditions (Kebatinan), Sufism, and facets of the Global Growth Movement. Despite their syncretic practices, these organizations occupy a distinctive social position that grants them greater latitude in religious and spiritual expression. By comparing them with other fringe spiritual movements that have faced criticism and blasphemy charges, this paper argues that their status as spiritual or religious corporations enables them to enjoy broader freedoms. This distinction highlights the complexities of religious freedom and its dynamic governance in Indonesia, where the legal and social treatment of spiritual groups can vary significantly depending on their organizational shape and social location.