Christian Women in Indonesia : A Narrative Study of Gender and Religion (Women and Gender in Religion)

Revelatory studies capture a moment in Indonesian history. ""a leap forward in what may be a major transition from patriarchy to gender equality."" This important book offers an edifying narrative of Indonesian women who find a new and powerful voice in the course of preparing to become Christian pastors and theologians in their native land. By assuming roles of responsibility, these women stand ready to transform gender ideologies that have traditionally governed Indonesian culture, for example, that women are an inferior sex and not suited to leadership. On a broader canvas they join a growing global course toward gender equality and the evolution of women's spirituality. Adeney clearly shows how religious-inspired resistance led these women to draft new practices and theologies designed to foster parity. Realizing that western ideas are inapplicable to foreign issues of gender and religion, the author sheds light on the twin questions of cultural isolation and the complexities of doing research in the post-modern era.