IN MEMORIAM PROF. ANTHONY REID

Sumber gambar: Google Search. 

 

HISTORIAN AND ONE OF THE SO-CALLED INDONESIANIST

By: Fransiskus Borgias

(Faculty of Philosophy, Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia)

 

Introduction

The news of the death of Prof. Tony Reid (short name of Anthony Reid) a few weeks ago was certainly a sad news for us because we lost one of the great historians (and also anthropologians) of Southeast Asia, even South Asia and especially Indonesia. He, who was born in 1939, has finally left us all to the eternal life beyond the valley of death. It was Prof. Bernard Adeney, who conveyed the sad news to the ICRS family and ICRS Alumni via our Whatsapp Group. At that very moment, Prof. Bernie also did not forget to provide a brief note about his own “dynamic encounter” with the late Tony Reid. Requiescat in Pace Prof. Tony.

 

Some “Memories”

When I read the sad news of Prof. Tony’s death, I immediately remembered several “memories” related to him. First, I remembered the fact that I had only met him once in person when, around 2013 or 2014, he gave a series of History lectures at ICRS. At that time, I was still in Yogyakarta to study in ICRS (Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies). Of course, that lectures of Prof. Tony were something very special for me, because I could listen directly to one of the great historians of his caliber. It was very special, because he was presented before my eyes. I listened to him. It was something extraordinary. A special opportunity that I did not miss of forget.

Second, I also remember one of my anthropology lecturers in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, back in the year of 2000-2002, Prof. Martin Raamsteedt (a German origin) who also studied Indonesian studies. He gave us a lecture on anthropology. The title of the course, if I remember correctly, was the Anthropology of Religion. It was from Prof. Raamsteedt that I first heard brief news about the “wanna be” published book of anthropological studies on death in Indonesia edited by Henri Chambert-Loir and Anthony Reid. The book itself was finally published in 2002, but apparently among Indonesian specialists it was already an open secret.

 

The Potent Dead

The third point that I spontaneously remembered was related to this book. When studying for a doctoral degree in Interreligious Studies at ICRS-Yogyakarta, one of the compulsory books that we had to read, especially related to the History of Religions in Indonesia (at that time under the supervision of Prof. Bernard Adeney and Prof. Margana) was a book edited by these two famous editors, Chambert-Loir and Reid. The book summarized the results of studies and researches from 13 history and anthropology researchers related to the Nusantara (Indonesia).

This book has a very interesting title, The Potent Dead. If translated literally, it means “the mighty Dead.” Actually, this title is closely related to the thesis held by the two editors of the book and also the thirteen anthropologist researchers, that in fact, people who have died, even though they are dead, still in one way or another, have the swing of power or influence over people who are still alive here in this world. That swing of power or influence also determines the way of the living people in "treating" their dead people. So, that power or potent, is not primarily about physical power, but rather a supernatural or even psychological power that cannot be ignored by humans who are still alive in this world. In fact, the behavior of humans who are alive now is also "determined" and conditioned by that power, a power that seems to always radiate from the other side, onto the lives of today's humans.

The thirteen results of anthropological research, are grouped into three great and loose categories. It is clearly seen in the sub-title of this book: ancestors, saints and heroes in contemporary Indonesia. This sub-title actually shows three ways in which people in the Indonesian archipelago treat their dead. Though they are died already but they still have the power of influence (potent) over those who are still alive now and here. It also has an impact on the funeral rituals of the dead. The way of the funeral rituals are determined by the shadowy swing power of the dead.

 

Three Categories of Treating the Dead

The first category is ancestors. There are ancestors who have died, who by passing through some certain criteria, are finally appointed as ancestors who, in one way or another, undergo a process and finally acquire divine characteristics or even status (from which what the British anthropologist, calls ancestor worship or ancestor veneration can emerge). Especially through a process called genealogical amnesia, so that the ancestors become anonymous, nameless or no longer known by a proper-personal name. This amnesia process also helps the emergence of the ancestor worship (veneration) practice. This applies to several tribal-indigenous religions in several regions in Indonesia, such as in Kalimantan (research by Bernard Sellato, Anne Schiller), in Toba (Tony Reid's own research related to the tradition of erecting monuments), in Sumba (Danielle C. Geirnaert) and in Toraja (Elizabeth Coville), in Bugis (Christian Pellras).

The second category is the cult of saints, and this is especially true among Muslims in several places, especially in Java and Sumatra. There are certain religious figures in the past, whose graves in the process of historical development, have undergone a process of sacredness, so that they are often visited by their followers or admirers. The practice of grave pilgrimage (ziarah makam) is very popular among some Muslims, especially among NU. In the introduction to this book, the practice of grave pilgrimage carried out by President Gus Dur is also clearly mentioned. There are even political decisions taken after performing a night of seclusion on grave pilgrimage at the sacred graves of certain kiayi in Central Java or in East Java.

This is what researchers such as Henri Chambert-Loir himself (who researched Saints and ancestors: the cult of Muslim saints in Java) are trying to bring to the surface. Also Claude Guillot (who researched The Tembayat hill: clergy and royal power in Central Java from the 15th to the 17th century) are trying to bring to the surface. Also James J. Fox (who researched on the matter of Interpreting the historical significance of tombs and chronicles in contemporary Java). Their thesis statement and logic of thinking is more or less the same as the previous one, namely that those who are dead, still in one way or another, have the power to influence the totality of the way of life of those who are still alive, also in terms of behavior and political-economic decisions.

The third category is national heroes. If the first category is closely related to local traditions and indigenous religions (tribal-beliefs), and the second category is closely related to the practices of certain groups in Islam (especially NU groups), then this third category is a political program and decision of the state (government). The state itself creates or even “produce” an image of its own potent dead, namely heroes (both national and local). Just like the two previous categories, where people who have died still have the power to influence the attitudes of people who are still alive, so also here, people who have died, especially those who have a great merit to the whole process of the struggle toward the Indonesian independence, are made heroes, because of their services in building and fighting for this nation (Indonesia); they also, those heroes and heroines still have great influence on the lives of many people. This fact also gives rise to certain rituals, such as the annual commemoration of Heroes' Day (Hari Pahlawan), or the ritual of "moment of silence" to commemorate those heroes, which is carried out at the August 17 flag ceremony, or even monthly or weekly flag ceremonies. All of these rituals are taking part in the whole process of shaping the behavior of living people (Indonesians citizens).

 

The Significant Others

Those are some of my personal memories and recollections of Prof. Anthony Reid. Of course, as we have already known, Prof. Tony has written a lot articles and book or book chapters about the History of the Indonesian Archipelago. But on this occasion, I want to raise just one of them which happens to still be very memorable in my memory because of the interesting topics raised in it.

We cannot simply ignore our ancestors who have died, because they are what the American anthropologist philosopher, Herbert G. Mead, meant when once he said that our lives here and now are very much determined and conditioned by what he called the significant others. You like it or not, we exist and even live because of the role and existence of the significant others. In this context, one of the significant others for us Indonesians is Prof. Anthony Reid who has dedicated most of his life to helping us Indonesians, to know and deepen our understanding of ourselves by writing and researching history and anthropology.

Anthony Reid’s chapter in the afore mentioned book talks about the efforts of several clans in Samosir island and the surrounding to build monuments (tugu) to the memory of their long-dead ancestors. In this way, they are “immortalized” in a monument, in a building of a monument that serves as a reminder of them. Their strong existence and presence are celebrated on or around these monuments.

 

Prof. Tony: Our “Significant Other”

Perhaps no one will build a monument (tugu) to Anthony Reid. But his monumental works in the field of Indonesian history and anthropology, are probably the most original and most powerful “monuments” to commemorate him. If the monuments in Samosir island have been able to carry the memories and imaginations of children and grandchildren about their ancestors, then the various books and scientific publications that Tony has produced will certainly become a sign of remembrance of him.

Even though Tony is gone, he will remain here, in and through his works, through his texts. Although Paul Ricoeur, once said, in his discourse on hermeneutic philosophy, that when a text has been published, the author of the text is actually “dead” already since the text has “lived” its own life. It will be interpreted and reinterpreted by various readers and interpreters. Even though the readers and interpreters (hermeneuts) try to clarify some ideas to the “original” writer and author, the clarification given by him or her (“original” author) is a new attempt to understand the text itself and not the text itself.

Herewith I endorse readers to celebrate Tony's passing by reading and rereading and also interpreting (hermeneutical endeavor) Tony's huge texts production, because by reading and rereading and also interpreting them, we are actually reproducing and constructing meaning. As it is formulated in the tradition of hermeneutic philosophy: Reading and rereading is a process of reproducing and reconstructing meaning. If we have done that philosophical task diligently and faithfully, we have actually also built a “memorial” to Tony Reid.

 

Concluding Remark

I want to conclude this simple article by quoting a Sequentia hymn in the Requiem Mass, a Mass that is celebrated specifically to usher in the "departure" of the dead into eternal life. The title is In Paradisum (Latin): "In paradisum deducant te angeli, in tuo adventu, suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem." (Quoted from Liber Usualis, 1962, and included again in Puji Syukur No.709).

One of its English version is the following text (quoted from Parish Book of Chant, CMAA 2012; http://musicasacra.com/pbc/): “May the Angels lead you into paradise: may the martyrs receive you at your coming, and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels receive you, and with Lazarus, who once was poor, may you have everlasting rest.” Or to use the other hymn of Requiem Mass for the moment of communion: Lux aeterna, luceat eis domine. Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es.

Requiescat in Pace et in Amore, Prof. Tony.