This research aims to examine the practice of communitarian cross-textual reading in interreligious communities, especially between Muslim and Christian women in North Wendewa and Watu Asa village, Central of Sumba. In general, the role of women in peacekeeping and peacebuilding is very significant through a dialogue of life e and dialogue of action. Meanwhile, the discussion around scriptural reading texts is very limited. For this reason, this study aims to embrace women experiences and voices in the space of cross-communitarian reading. The method employed is qualitative research which contains focus group discussions, participant observation, and in-depth interviews with representatives of women's participants and religious leaders as well as traditional leaders. From this study, it was found that the process of reading can run to some extent as a space of dialogue and reflection. Their reading is more practical and reflective, which is directly related to their daily reflection. Indeed, the model offered by Listijabudi is complete, yet, I just emphasize the position of ordinary readers within their social context. Although the basis of the encounter is text, the readers focus more on the relevance of the reading to their daily lives without digging into the text hermeneutically. Therefore, I propose a model of cross-communitarian reading which focuses on the role of ordinary readers in interreligious communities who have a dialogue by crossing their reflections on the textual readings. Interestingly, cross-communitarian reading brings women to the experience of crossing borders by entering other areas of reading texts as a process of learning and growing together for mutual empowerment. Here, an adventure around communitarian cross-textual reading encourages religious groups for self-evaluation and reflection to know themselves through encounters with others. A cross-communitarian reading is part of the interreligious dialogue and interreligious reading around such themes that resonate with the everyday reality of each community. This model of reading can be a bridge for peace-keeping and peace-building to prevent any religious conflicts and maintain the relationship of each religious group.
Key Words: cross-communitarian reading, ordinary readers, practical and reflective reading, crossing-border women