“One of the things I have never liked about the Catholic Church is the role of women in it” Gendered religious exit narratives of Bahá'ís in Ireland
- Author(s)
- Tova Makhani-Belkin
- In
- Gender, Sexuality and Religious Exit : Rethinking the Body, Politics and Methodologies
- Editor(s)
- Nella van den Brandt; Sarah-Jane Page
- Year
- 2026
- ISBN
- 9781003625049
Description
This chapter examines the narratives and lived experiences of individuals in Ireland who left Catholicism to join the Bahá’í Faith, with particular attention to gendered experiences. For first-generation Bahá’ís, the Catholic Church’s patriarchal structures, history of misogyny, and violence emerge as central push factors. At the same time, the Bahá’í emphasis on gender equality and its lack of clergy is perceived as an inclusive and progressive alternative. The chapter aims to answer the following research questions: What motivations and experiences related to gender issues lead first-generation Bahá’ís to move away from Catholicism? What specific gender-related factors attracted individuals to join the Bahá’í Faith? What gendered roles do first-generation Bahá’ís take on in aspects of everyday life and religious practices? The chapter argues that gender operates simultaneously as a critical push factor in Catholic disaffiliation and as a central pull factor in Bahá’í affiliation. This chapter also demonstrates how not only women but also men interpret disaffiliation in explicitly gendered terms. It argues that gender is not solely a lens for studying women’s religious exit but also a structuring dimension of men’s experiences.