Gender as the Moral Framework of War: Religious Discourse in Wartime Russia

Authors

• Olga Vlasova Dr., King's College LondonFollow
• Ulviyya Khalilova, University of BirminghamFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

0000-0002-0564-2366

0000-0002-8770-0418

Abstract

The article explores how wartime religious discourse constructs the moral framework of war through gender rhetoric. Based on the critical discourse analysis of wartime public statements by Russian Orthodox and Muslim religious leaders (2022-2026), the study shows how gender can be used as a framework through which violence becomes meaningful and tolerable. It highlights that the discourse of masculinity provides precisely those moral categories (duty, sacrifice, and protection) which depict participation in war as a moral obligation. At the same time, femininity is primarily associated with the reproduction of social order through care, support, and motherhood, while remaining outside the direct legitimisation of violence. The analysis further demonstrates that wartime religious discourse is predominantly masculine. Finally, the comparative analysis shows that the differences between Orthodox and Muslim discourses are not due to the theological differences between the religions, but to the institutional positions of religious actors within the structure of power.

Recommended Citation

Vlasova, Olga Dr. and Khalilova, Ulviyya (2026) "Gender as the Moral Framework of War: Religious Discourse in Wartime Russia," Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 46 : Iss. 9 , Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2880
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol46/iss9/8