<![CDATA[Abstract This article examines the paradoxical representation of kiai in Indonesian Reformasi-era novels with a focus on gender politics. The post-1998 Reformasi period opened new spaces for questioning Islamic religious authority, particularly in relation to women’s bodies and agency. Using Stuart Hall’s theory of representation, especially the encoding–decoding model, this study analyzes four Indonesian novels: Perempuan Berkalung Sorban, Ayat-Ayat Cinta, Negeri 5 Menara, and Kiai Tanpa Pesantren. Employing a qualitative textual analysis, the findings reveal that kiai are represented paradoxically—as moral authorities claiming to protect women while simultaneously functioning as symbolic agents reproducing patriarchal control. These paradoxes expose tensions between symbolic sanctity and power practices, as well as between religious moderation and the normalization of gender discipline. The article argues that the representation of kiai in Reformasi-era Indonesian fiction constitutes a discursive construction rather than a direct reflection of social reality, enabling hegemonic, negotiated, and oppositional readings of religion–gender relations in contemporary Indonesian Muslim society. Keywords: representation, kiai, gender, Indonesian novel, Reformasi era]]>
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