ABSTRACT
For centuries Muslim and Christian Pelas in the Moluccas were able to live peacefully alongside and with each other. The Pela is an intervillage blood covenant based on a common worldview, anchored in traditional Nunusaku or Ambon religion. It was this common origin and their interpersonal relationships, a loose form of horizontal syncretism between Christians and Muslims, that prevailed over religious differences. Despite the advent of civil war in 1999, pitting Muslim and Christian villages against each other, the majority of Moluccans believe that the Pela can promote cooperation between communities and different faith groups. In a polarized world we can learn from the meaning, limitations, and possibilities of the Pela alliance between Christians and Muslims in the Moluccas.
