Paper long abstract:

In post-tsunami Banda Aceh, Indonesia, religious frameworks took on heightened importance for explaining the tsunami as a moment of change towards a (morally) better future in relation to a past of conflict and sins. Different religious explanations are used not only to make sense of the past, but also to give meaning to the present and future remaking of society. Hope that life generally will improve is also framed by progressive narratives of the state and international organizations that literally claimed to 'build back better' in Aceh. This paper considers both religious and state narratives that circulate in Banda Aceh and that aim to make sense of the catastrophic tsunami, the violent past, current social changes and the future. It focuses on how these narratives of the tsunami, the past and the future are used, altered, made and remade by people in Aceh, reflecting hope, grief and acceptance.