Transformasi Otoritas Keagamaan Perempuan di Indonesia: Modernisasi Keberagamaan dan Politik Representasi Gender di Era Digital

Abstract

This study examines how religious modernization and the politics of gender representation intersect within the context of digital media in post-Reform Indonesia. This research aims to understand the transformation of Indonesian Muslim women’s religious authority through the lenses of mediatization, feminist theology, and politics of representation. Based on a literature review and qualitative observation, the findings indicate that social media provides new spaces for women to claim and negotiate religious authority. This phenomenon is reflected in the emergence of popular “female ulama” who deliver critical da’wah, challenging traditional patriarchal interpretations. Platform logic (likes, shares, comments) enables ordinary Muslim women to become new religious references, making authority increasingly dependent on public support rather than formal positions.

The visual and narrative politics of representation employed by these female preachers influence perceptions of piety; women are portrayed as egalitarian and empowering agents, countering patriarchal cultural constructions. This study also traces the role of inclusive interpretations within Islamic feminist theology (for example, the thought of Amina Wadud, which affirms gender equality in sacred texts) in digital da’wah practices. The findings reveal a dualism: on the one hand, religious modernization through digital media opens space for more progressive gender reinterpretations; on the other hand, online religious authority remains vulnerable to market logic and viral trends, which may oversimplify religious teachings. These findings highlight the complexity of contemporary women’s religious transformation in navigating the challenges of modernity and mediatization.

Keywords:  mediatization, religious authority, Muslim women, representation, religious modernization