Gender and Power in Indonesian Islam

This book is the first to explore understandings of gender and Islam in pesantren (traditional Islamic boarding schools) and Sufi orders in Indonesia. Pesantren are crucial centres of Muslim learning and culture within Indonesia and this book demonstrates how Muslim women rise to positions of power and authority in this patriarchal domain, challenging and negotiating "normative" Muslim patriarchy while establishing their own Muslim "authenticity." The book explores female leadership, power, feminisms and sexuality to reveal that pesantren and Sufi orders are not only centres of learning, but also social spaces in which the interplay of gender, politics, status, power and piety shape the course of life.