One leading expert on Indonesia, Benedict Anderson, roots Indonesia’s nature in its core Javanese culture, particularly the wayang religious tradition. According to Anderson, “In contrast to the great religions of the Near East…the religion of wayang has no prophet, no message, no Bible, no Redeemer.…The endless variety and sharp individuality of its dramatis personae indicate that wayang reflects the variegation of human life as it is felt by the Javanese...”