Beyond Religious Preaching: Kiai Langgar as Potential Agents of Digital Financial Literacy in Rural Communities

Abstrak

This study examines the potential role of Kiai Langgar as agents of digital financial literacy in rural communities, focusing on how religious authority and social capital may support the communication of digital financial knowledge. This qualitative phenomenological study involved selected Kiai Langgar in Pekalongan and Batang. Data were collected through interviews and observations and followed by domian analysis. The findings reveal that Kiai Langgar have the potential to enhance digital financial literacy through their religious authority and congregants’ trust, cultivated through regular majelis taklim (congregational religious gatherings). Their knowledge of fiqh muamalah provides a normative foundation for discussing digital financial transactions, while regular religious gatherings and established relationships with congregants offer potential channels for communicating financial knowledge. However, the preaching material deals with digital transactions remain limited, generally focusing on religious permissibility rather than systematic practical guidance or active promotion. The findings also show that the existence of congregational networks does not necessarily lead to their purposeful mobilization for financial education. Thus, the potential contribution of Kiai Langgar remains largely unrealized in their current practices. This study introduces a conceptual perspective that positions grassroots Islamic religious leaders as potential below-the-line cultural marketers in digital financial literacy. It distinguishes between the availability of social-religious resources, their mobilization through purposeful communication, and the educational effectiveness of such communication. By identifying the potential–practice gap, the study highlights resource mobilization as a critical dimension in understanding how religious authority and social capital may contribute to digital financial literacy in rural communities.