Jeniffer Fresy Porielly Wowor (she/her/hers) is a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University, New York. She is a researcher and wastra lover. Wastra is a term for traditional Indonesian heritage textiles, including hand-drawn batik and handwoven textiles (tenun).
What is your research about? What led you to your research topic?
My research explores the development of Christian religious education and practical theology, focusing on the history of violence against women and femicide. In Indonesia, one significant instance of sexual violence and femicide occurred during the 1965 Tragedy. Using postcolonial feminist imagination as a theoretical framework, my research challenges the null curriculum in Post-1965 Christian Religious Education in Indonesia. This project provides as much space as possible to hear the voices of the first to the third generation of women victims-survivors of the 1965 Tragedy in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. In this research, I focus on women’s narratives and transgenerational femimemories (feminist memories). What drives my research is my reflexivity as an Indonesian woman and a pressing issue faced by Indonesian people today: the growing prevalence of violence against women and femicide on a national scale. As a woman from Indonesia, I live in the stream of intersecting narratives from my personal life and those of the Indonesian people, especially women. Therefore, a central aspect of my approach is making space for multiple voices and narratives to coexist while also incorporating art and aesthetics, including Indonesian handwoven textiles. To accomplish this, I employ feminist ethnography to ensure that both my voice and the voices of women victims-survivors of the 1965 Tragedy and their families are heard.
How are you identifying your calling?
As a woman with multiple roles—a mother of three children, wife, daughter, sister, pastor of Gereja Protestan di Indonesia bagian Barat (The Protestant Church in Western Indonesia, abbreviated GPIB) and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Theology, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (Duta Wacana Christian University, abbreviated UKDW) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia—my calling is to carry out as fully as possible every responsibility entrusted to me. While this may sound simple, I face countless dynamics while trying to balance these various roles every day. Sometimes, 24 hours in a day doesn’t feel like enough. Still, I strive to accomplish everything as well as possible without neglecting my own needs (self-care). When I do this, I am certain that the positive impact will extend to me, the people around me, and the wider community. This is how I weave spirituality into the fabric of everyday life, which is the locus of God’s revelation.
What have you learned from your leadership experiences?
My leadership experience has primarily been in congregational settings. I have served as a pastor in diverse settings, including the hinterland of West Kalimantan, the Indonesian community at Myungsung Presbyterian Church in Seoul, South Korea, and the Indonesian American Presbyterian Church in Maryland. In academia, I have served as Head of the Undergraduate Program at the Faculty of Theology, UKDW. As a student, I was Chair of the GPIB Theological Student Fellowship at the Faculty of Theology, UKDW, and Chair of the International Students Community at Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary, where I completed my master’s degree in Christian Education. In these various leadership opportunities, I have learned the necessity of moving away from the top-down, patriarchal model of leadership toward a more collaborative and inclusive approach. It is vital that women support one another in becoming leaders. I also learned the importance of women’s leadership from Marianne Katoppo, an Indonesian feminist theologian whom I deeply admire. She said that sometimes, the oppression experienced by women comes not only from men but also from fellow women themselves. Thus, sisterhood is essential to foster and strengthen women’s leadership.
What has your experience been with PANAAWTM?
I first took part in PANAAWTM in 2020, when the event was held online because of the pandemic. Since then, I have regularly taken part in PANAAWTM activities, especially those conducted virtually, since they have been easier for me to access due to my moving location. In addition to my studies at Fordham, I often travel to Indonesia for research. I have learned a great deal from female scholars at PANAAWTM, including Kwok Pui Lan, Boyung Lee, and Nami Kim. Their insights were very influential in the process of writing my dissertation. I am grateful for the opportunity to meet them, learn from their expertise, and receive direct feedback when I attended the Asian Theological Institute 2024. There, I also met Junehee Yoon and learned much from her. I love and am continuously inspired by the creative ritual practices carried out by PANAAWTM. For me, all these processes provide a necessary balance to the intense, cognitive demands of the academic world.
What brings you hope and joy?
Apart from reading novels, I enjoy collecting Indonesian wastra. The oldest piece in my collection is the “Tiga Negeri” handwritten batik, which is more than 100 years old. Each piece of traditional textile has a history: not only the history of its creation, but also the history of Indonesia and the world. Embedded within its literary motifs are the cultural histories of other nations, reflecting the encounters and interactions that have shaped Indonesian culture and aesthetics. The activity of inhaling the aroma of wastra —especially when accompanied by fruit salad—brings its own pleasure to me. Through exploring wastra, I have found a sense of balance in aesthetic experience. This is an essential complement to my doctoral studies, which often require me to think critically and read volumes upon volumes of academic books. In addition, I enjoy my personal prayer time in the morning, watching a favorite movie together with my husband, hanging out with my friends who play in a band composed of fellow lecturers at UKDW, and, of course, moments of togetherness with my three beautiful souls. All these moments spark happiness and hope in my life
Comments