A cross in the green rice field: Pastor and local election in Moslem-majority village of rural Java

Abstract

This paper seeks to elaborate the pastor in the Moslem-majority village of Ragacita, Central Java. Teofilus Arjuna, pastor-cum-politician, is the incumbent leader. This paper showing that the election process is not easy for him. Even though, he undoubtedly has a better grasp and understanding of the political world compared to the first, but the new political dynamics nearly pushed him to the brink of failure. As a followup to previous research conducted five years ago, this study re-interview the same individuals and discussed with new persons. This paper explaining that it is motivated to perpetuate the harmonious of village, and the performance of his leadership in the first period, pastor reelected as the village head for the second period. The existence of the cultural Islam or abangan, his ability to twist the religious-sensitive issue into constructive one enacted him as Christian leader in the Moslem majority village of rural Java, Indonesia.