Isabella Novsima, pronouns she/hers, is an Indonesian woman who likes to take pictures to admire the beauties around her and write poems to express her thoughts in Bahasa Indonesia. She is a PhD Student at Drew University-Drew Theological School in Madison, New Jersey.
What is your research about? What led you to your research topic?
My research is about theologies of disabilities. I have been working on this topic since my bachelor's in Theology at Jakarta Theological Seminary (in Indonesia) and my master's in theological studies at McCormick Theological Seminary. My experience living with the intellectual disabilities community during an immersion program at Jakarta Theological Seminary has led me to this research topic. Along the journey, the more I learn about disability studies and the theology of disability, the more I find that I am also a person with a disability. I think my experience as a woman, as an Asian, and as a person with disability leads me to use the lens of decoloniality in doing theologies of disabilities.
How are you identifying your calling?
My spiritual calling is to be a student who continuously learns different kinds of healing. Part of the healing works is by identifying the wound, and particularly, I am called to identify the wound caused by ableism that has always been intersecting with the wound caused by sexism and racism. Many of these wounds are intergenerational. Therefore, I hope I can work with my fellow healers-academics-teachers-advocates on each path we choose to break the chain of systemic violence that is rooted in ableism, sexism, and racism and to imagine healing communities.
What have you learned from your leadership experiences?
From my leadership experience, I learned that I can always learn from the people I lead and those I am working with. I remember leading the women's undergraduate student dormitory at Jakarta Theological Seminary. I was amazed at how young women can be so creative in doing theology through their artistic expressions.
When I had a chance to teach undergraduate students at Jakarta Theological Seminary, I learned a lot from my co-lecturer on pedagogy practice while finding my teaching style.
When I share theologies of disabilities with some local churches in Indonesia, I learn from the church members who are living with disabilities, from the Sunday school teacher's experience, and from the parents and caregivers of people with disabilities. As an Indonesian doing theologies of disabilities, I realize that many of my readings of theologies of disabilities are from the Western contexts; therefore, they should be interpreted or sometimes challenged by the living experience of non-Western contexts.
What has your experience been with PANAAWTM?
My first experience with PANAAWTM was in 2016 at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. I felt so proud that Dr. Septemmy Lakawa, my professor at Jakarta Theological Seminary, was one of the speakers for the annual meeting. That was also my first meeting with Dr. Kwok Pui-Lan in person after reading some of her powerful pieces in postcolonial and Asian feminist theology. Later on, I could only join the PANAAWTM through online meetings, sometimes from my country in Indonesia and some other times from my study location in the US. I was always inspired and refreshed by all the workshops, worship liturgies, and art expressions, and I feel guided by the doctoral workshops for PhD students. This year, I feel delighted to meet with Dr. Boyung Lee, Dr. Nami Kim, Dr. Kwok Pui Lan, Dr. Junehee Yoon, and other fellow PANAAWTM sisters at the Asian Theological Institute. These beautiful and meaningful encounters always affirmed my calling as an Asian woman doing theology.
What brings you hope and joy?
Knowing that people care for each other gives me hope.
Seeing the fire that people have to fight for justice gives me hope.
Witnessing that people find ways to imagine better futures gives me hope.
Experiencing people creating beautiful art to express their love for life gives me hope.
And a cup of caffe latte with art made by my spouse gives me joy. :)
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