Thesis: 'Beyond Numerical Inferiority: The Politics of Catholic and Protestant Minorities in Indonesia'

My research examines the variegated fortunes of religious minorities through the lens of comparative historical analysis. Specifically, I seek to account for the temporal and denominational variations in the political presence and influence of Catholic and Protestant minorities in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country and democracy. Unlike the prevailing tendency to view religious minorities solely through the lens of discrimination and persecution, my research treats the Christian minorities in Indonesia as political agents capable of securing desirable outcomes and influencing political processes, including in ways that seem to defy their numerical inferiority.