Sundanese Jesus-Followers Practicing Their Newfound Faith within a Sundanese Muslim Context

The purpose of this study was to understand how Sundanese Jesus-Followers in Indonesia describe the experiences of their newfound faith.

This study used a descriptive method to achieve its purpose to understand the participants. The data of this study was taken from 44 participants in 6 villages in 2019, during descriptive study interviews with the husbands, wives, and leaders who evangelize and plant home churches. Although there were language barriers, difficult circumstances, and threatened participants, this research was completed through the methods using qualitative research approaches in which this descriptive study was performed.

The study’s findings describe how these Jesus-followers are practicing newfound faith within a Sundanese Muslim context. The findings show how their endeavors in ministering through their conversion experiences, contextual evangelization, the practice of service, Bible study, and fellowship at home churches. The other aspects in the findings were the life-threatening and the pressures of economic life that were being challenged by radical Muslims, local rulers, political agendas, and family values in Sundanese society.

The participants were intentionally chosen from both the believers and the leaders who were in the position to corroborate the data from the interviews. The findings describe the characteristics of their behaviors, attitudes, lifestyles and become the key determination for their spiritual growth without the mainstream churches’ involvement.

The study’s findings also add to the understanding of Sundanese Jesus-followers in West Java where they create new dimensions in their spiritual life because of their unpredictable conditions and insecure situations. They have to deal with problems and challenges in their daily lives in order to keep up their newfound faith.

Furthermore, the findings describe their real lifestyles and culture that show the initial difference between the time when they were Muslims and the time after they became Jesus-followers, without neglecting or eliminating their own ethnic identity. These Jesus-followers had been establishing the network among them through interpersonal relationships in their lives and daily workplaces in order to form solid social capital at their respective home churches.

Moreover, this study’s findings also give practical implications primarily for the Sundanese Jesus-followers in West Java, the leaders of the groups, the local church leaders in Indonesia, and the researchers in Muslim background ministry in Indonesia.

Laban, David. 2022. “Sundanese Jesus-Followers Practicing Their Newfound Faith within a Sundanese Muslim Context.” D.I.S., United States — California: Biola University.