Reconstructing Islamic Religious Counseling in Strengthening Religious Moderation in The Digital Media Era

Abstract

The rapid development of media technology has transformed patterns of religious life in Indonesian society while simultaneously creating challenges such as intolerance, polarization, and religious-based extremism on social media. In this context, religious moderation has become a strategic agenda for maintaining social harmony within Indonesia’s multicultural society. This study aims to analyze the reconstruction of Islamic religious counseling in strengthening religious moderation through a literature-based study of religious policies and contemporary da'wah transformation. This research employs a qualitative approach using the library research method by analyzing books, journal articles, policy documents, and previous studies related to religious moderation, media transformation, and Islamic religious counseling. The findings reveal that Islamic religious counseling has shifted from a conventional model toward a more participatory and technology-oriented approach. Religious counselors are no longer positioned merely as transmitters of religious teachings, but also as communicators, social mediators, facilitators of moderation, and agents of religious literacy in virtual spaces. Furthermore, the religious moderation policies initiated by Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia strengthen the institutional role of religious counselors in responding to intolerance and extremism in online environments. However, this transformation still faces challenges, including limited technological literacy, the dominance of provocative religious content, and insufficient institutional support. This study contributes by offering an integrative framework that connects Islamic religious counseling, religious moderation, and media transformation as an adaptive strategy for strengthening social cohesion in contemporary Indonesian society.