Masculine religious discourse on social media: An audience reception study focused on women

Gender roles play a significant role in shaping individuals' religious beliefs. In societies dominated by patriarchal structures, religious discourses often reflect a masculine character, which deeply influences women's relationship with religious institutions and traditional belief systems. In this context, religious understandings constructed through patriarchal discourse lead women to feel marginalized, devalued, and positioned as secondary, prompting them to distance themselves from traditional religious structures and turn towards alternative forms of non-belief such as deism and atheism. This study addresses the impact of patriarchal religious discourse on women from social, psychological, and theological perspectives. The transmission of religious texts through male-centered interpretations, the restriction of women's voices, and the legitimization of normative constraints over women's bodies and lifestyles contribute to women distancing themselves from institutional religion in pursuit of individual freedom. This orientation is not merely a change in personal belief, but also a process through which women attempt to redefine their identities.