THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF LANGUAGE AND ISLAMIC GLOBALITY: RECONSTRUCTING THE ROLE OF ENGLISH IN PESANTREN TRADITION

Abstract

This study examines how pesantren scholars in Indonesia interpret the role of English in Islamic education, da’wah, and engagement with global knowledge. Previous studies have largely focused on English language learning, pedagogical integration, and learners' experiences, while less attention has been given to how religious authorities construct the epistemic legitimacy and limits of English in relation to Arabic and Islamic knowledge. Using a qualitative interpretive approach, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with five scholars from selected pesantren in Java and Bali. Data were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis, focusing on the meanings, justifications, and boundaries attached to English use. The findings reveal three main patterns. First, English is granted conditional legitimacy when it serves educational, da’wah, and knowledge-related purposes regarded as compatible with Islamic values. Second, scholars generally differentiate rather than substitute the functions of English and Arabic, with Arabic retaining a privileged position in religious knowledge while English serves broader communicative and global functions. Third, openness to global communication is accompanied by efforts to preserve pesantren's religious and intellectual orientation. The study therefore identifies an epistemological negotiation rather than a comprehensive transformation of pesantren epistemology. It contributes to research on language and Islamic education by highlighting the role of religious authority in negotiating the meaning and boundaries of a global language within pesantren contexts.

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