The Construction of Religious Identity among Sapta Darma Adherents in Digital Space: A Study of Social Media in Indonesia

Abstract

This study analyses the construction of religious identity among Sapta Darma adherents in digital space, focusing on the relationship between internal ritual practices and community representation on social media. The issue is significant because indigenous belief adherents in Indonesia have gained administrative recognition following Constitutional Court Decision Number 97/PUU-XIV/2016, yet they continue to face social stigma and limited public representation. Using a qualitative approach and a contextual case study design, this research was conducted at Sanggar Candi Sapta Rengga, Yogyakarta. Data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews with adherents, sanggar administrators, community figures, and social media managers, as well as documentation of ritual activities and digital content. The data were analysed interpretatively using Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical framework and Frame Analysis. The findings reveal three main points. First, ritual space functions as backstage, where identity authenticity is formed through sujud, racut, ulah rasa, and bodily-spiritual cultivation. Second, social media functions as front stage, where identity is selected, simplified, and translated into public language. Third, impression management is used to emphasise humanitarian values, ethics, social harmony, and community activities in order to build legitimacy and reduce stigma. This study implies that indigenous belief communities need balanced digital communication strategies that combine public openness with the protection of spiritual depth. Its originality lies in viewing social media as a dramaturgical space and politics of meaning for local belief communities, rather than merely as a medium of religious communication.