These very essential definitions evolves in modern history. The universal characteristic of modernity seeks to unite and implies a standard definition of religion under the influence of the Christianity as the sole authority at that time. So the Church intellectuals sets the standard definition for religion according to Christianity. Christianity as a theological religion then inspired religion to be associated as a concept of God, Revelation, Scripture and the international community.
In line with the spirit of 20th century of colonialism conducted by the western world to the colonized impact on the hegemony of western knowledge to non-Western societies. Religion is defined, controlled and constructed by governments and scholars for political purposes. The conspirators are not only religious scholars but there is also a legitimizing influence of the politicized power for secular interests.
The term religion that exist and are defined today on a wide scale is also part of imperialism on religion. Religion is constructed and reified by the certain context and circumstance in the long history of modern. However, when the imperialists have departed, scholars identify the way in which religion continues to change and develop even as the colonialists leave.
This is what according to Masuzawa in his book "The Invention of World Religions" as global phenomenon. Masuzawa then asserts that when religion is understood in the very theological sense as taken for granted in public and academia (Masuzawa 2005).
Consequently, that makes religion defined theologically by exploring other non-theological beliefs. Non-Religion which is intended here in the case of Indonesia is distinguished between agama (religion) and adat (costum) and also budaya (culture). Various traditions that cannot fit into the theological categories of religion are considered to be outside of religion.
This problem then reminds us to the rise of religious conversions that occurred in Indonesia in the period of 1965. At that time, the betrayal of Communism in Indonesia was exhausted by the government because it is associated as a forbidden belief. In addition, the beliefs and traditions of the local people were forced to enter the religion recognized by the State at that time (Maarif 2017).
This problem underlies that religion as a single term is understood in the Indonesian context which recognizes six official religions (Islam, Christian, Catholic, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucian) is inseparable from the discursive problem in the academia community and the politicization of religion.
Admittedly, The assumption that the Orang Rimba as unreligious and primitive is evidence of the prevalent strong influence of the essentialist theological definition of religion.
Therefore one might reasonably ask how it could be conceived in contemporary scholarship development on religious discourse. More recently, the idea of indigenous religion proposed by scholars such as James Cox (2007) in his book "From Primitive to Indigenous: The Academic Study of Indigenous Religions" can be taken into consideration.
Cox analyzes critically the history of the study and teaching of 'indigenous religions' as a different term from 'world religions'. Cox problematize the fault and the mistakes that are inherent from some political and essentialist views in the world religious paradigm. He thinks indigenous "refers to its being bound to a location; participants in the religion are native to a place ... The single and overriding belief shared between Indigenous Religions derives from a kinship-based worldview in which attention is directed towards ancestor spirits as the central figures in religious life and practice" (Cox 2007)
Cox avoids the essentialist theological definition of religion. Cox offer a new way to look at the practice of the indigenous religion. We could not conceive it of non-theological belief, or non-spiritual doctrine, or whatever. Now it seems to me that the religion is entirely part of the culture and everyday life that is practiced by society.
