Banten: Entity, Identity, or Commodity? (Theological Perspective, Sociology of Religion, Slavoj Zizek's Philosophy)

Abstract

Banten, as a means to depict the abstract form of God, certainly has many meanings and is highly open to interpretation. Perceived as an offering, it represents the self not only to invoke the presence of the gods to whom the offering is made but also as a suggestion to request a wish. On the other hand, it is implicitly laden with hegemony and power to generate financial profit. The purpose of this research is to elaborate on the existence of banten, which has dual meanings, namely having the essence as the embodiment of 'The One' while also representing the commodification of religious symbols. This research uses a qualitative approach, with an ethnographic focus on the liturgical practices of Balinese society. Offerings, as symbols of entities, are always associated with the concept of chakra yajna in Hinduism. Chakra yajna refers to the idea that God and/or deities bestow blessings upon human life. On the other hand, banten not only has meaning as a symbol of the entity and identity of the Balinese Hindu community, but this worship medium is also turned into a commodity based on the power relations of each substructure. In other words, offerings have a dual framework, containing religious aspects inherent to the offerings. On the other hand, the obligation of the ritual is merely to provide funds according to the price calculation.