The Muslim researcher reflections on insider-outsider research in Indonesia

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The article takes up the topic of religious insider and outsider research and looks especially at the issue of advantages and disadvantages of being a religious insider doing qualitative research in religious communities similar to one’s own.

As a case study serves my personal experience of being a convert Muslim woman doing research among Islamic communities in Indonesia.

During research, I came to understand that the plurality of different Islamic practices found in Indonesia makes it difficult to become a ’true’ and ‘complete‘ insider to this variety of Islamic teachings and practices.

My main argument is that, at least in the Indonesian context, it is impossible to be a complete religious insider to each aspect of the plurality of Islamic practices despite being an insider to Islam, a Muslim.

This in turn leads me to discuss advantages and disadvanatges of being a religious insider.