This research work is a pragmatic analysis of selected utterances from the Christian scriptures using the speech act theory of Searle of 1969 and Politeness theory stipulated by Brown and Levinson. The motivation for this study is the fact that the Christian scriptures has received little attention when it comes to scholarly investigations.
The work is divided into five chapters: Chapter one features the background to the study, definitions of terms, statement of problem, aim and objective of the study, significance of the study and the scope of the study. Chapter two features the review of literatures relevant to this research in terms of theory, data and area of study. Chapter three contains the exploration of the methodology and theoretical framework adopted for the study.
Chapter four features the analysis of the selected utterances into two subheadings: speech act analysis focusing on the illocutionary, and politeness analysis of the same set of utterances, which are taken from the New Testament part of the Bible, Matthew, Luke and John to be precise. After the analysis, a table is attached which summarises the research question.
Pragmatics as a level of linguistic analysis describes language from the point of view of the language users; most importantly, the choices these language users make, the constraints they encounter in using their language for social interaction and also the effect of their use of language on other participants in a speech event. This is the domain of pragmatics.
Hence, social context is considered in any pragmatics study because in any social context, the sole aim of the language is to foster communication and when talking about communication, there is always the “more than” notion – a speech saying much more than what the ordinary message may project and pragmatics bothers itself with the ability to interpret the inner message of any speech
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Review of Related Literatures
3. Theoretical Framework
3.1 Speech Act
3.2 Politeness Theory
4. Research Methodolog
5. Textual Analysis
5.1 Speech Act Analysis of the Texts
5.2 A Politeness Analysis of the Texts
6. A Tabular Representation of the Result
7. Discussion
8. Conclusion
9. Works Cited
Objectives and Core Themes
This research aims to conduct a pragmatic analysis of selected utterances from the Christian scriptures, specifically focusing on the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John. The study investigates how these utterances function as speech acts and how they align with or deviate from the politeness principles defined by Brown and Levinson, highlighting the role of social context in communication.
- Application of Searle’s Speech Act Theory to biblical utterances.
- Examination of Politeness Theory strategies in the speech of Jesus and other characters.
- Linguistic analysis of the illocutionary force behind specific scriptural statements.
- Comparative analysis of different Bible translations to evaluate message intent.
Excerpt from the Book
Speech Act Analysis of the Texts
(a) John 8:7 “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (KJV) The above statement seems like a command at first sight as it has been quoted here, however, the utterance requires a critical observation in order to reveal its nature. The utterance is an illocutionary act of declarative. In the utterance, there is a declaration that is being made by the speaker (Jesus) and that declaration is that his addresses are all guilty of sin. He does not seek for their opinion before generalizing it. And it is also possible that what the “her” in the context had done is an abomination to their own law even though they also have their shortcoming. It is an act of sentencing.
The speaker, like a judge, passed judgment on his addressees.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter defines the scope of pragmatics and introduces the research focus on investigating the inner messages of utterances within the Christian scripture.
Review of Related Literatures: This section provides an overview of existing linguistic studies on discourse analysis, pragmatics, and specific applications of speech act theory in various contexts.
Theoretical Framework: This chapter outlines the fundamental concepts of J.L. Austin and John Searle regarding speech acts, and the politeness theory principles established by Brown and Levinson.
Research Methodolog: This section describes the qualitative, analytical approach used, including the selection of specific Bible versions and the sampling method employed for gathering utterances.
Textual Analysis: This chapter presents the detailed linguistic investigation of the chosen utterances, applying both speech act classification and politeness strategies to the text.
A Tabular Representation of the Result: This chapter provides a clear summary of the findings, categorized by speaker, illocutionary act, and politeness strategy.
Discussion: This section synthesizes the findings, noting the dominance of representative and directive acts and evaluating the frequency of polite vs. impolite expressions.
Conclusion: This final chapter summarizes the research, noting that Jesus' utterances are often authoritative and that the discourse of the thieves reflects their subordinate position.
Works Cited: This section lists the academic sources and biblical texts utilized throughout the study.
Keywords
pragmatics, speech act, text, politeness, utterances, scripture, illocutionary, declarative, directive, expressive, commissive, discourse, communicative intent, linguistic analysis, social context
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research is a pragmatic analysis of selected utterances from the Christian scriptures, focusing on how they function as social actions.
Which theoretical models are used in the study?
The study utilizes John Searle’s Speech Act Theory and the Politeness Theory developed by Penelope Brown and Stephen C. Levinson.
What is the main objective of the analysis?
The objective is to identify the illocutionary acts and politeness strategies used in utterances from the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John.
What methodology does the author adopt?
The author uses a qualitative, analytical approach with purposive sampling, analyzing utterances from four different English Bible translations.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical foundations, the detailed speech act and politeness analysis of three distinct sets of texts, and a discussion of the results.
Which keywords define this study?
Key terms include pragmatics, speech act, politeness, illocutionary, scripture, and communicative intent.
How does the author categorize the speech of Jesus?
The author observes that Jesus’ speech is frequently authoritative and domineering, though it sometimes shifts to an apologetic or pleading tone depending on the context.
What distinction is made between the first and second thief?
The first thief is characterized as having an arrogant and challenging tone, while the second thief is described as demonstrating greater pragmatic awareness by using politeness strategies to gain favor.
How does context affect the interpretation of the utterances?
The context—such as the setting of the crucifixion or a teaching moment—is essential to identifying the illocutionary force of the speech and whether it satisfies the listener's self-esteem or politeness requirements.
- Quote paper
- Chidinma Dike (Author), 2020, Selected Utterances from the Christian Scriptures. A Pragmatic Study, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/926207
