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
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Review of Related Literatures
- Theoretical Framework
- Speech Act
- Politeness Theory
- Research Methodolog
- Textual Analysis
- Speech Act Analysis of the Texts
- A Politeness Analysis of the Texts
- A Tabular Representation of the Result
- Discussion
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This research aims to analyze selected utterances from the Christian scriptures through the lens of speech act theory and politeness theory, highlighting the significance of these theories in understanding the scriptures. The work sheds light on the actions performed through language, the impact of those actions, and the underlying politeness strategies employed in communication.
- Analyzing speech acts within the Christian scriptures, specifically focusing on the New Testament.
- Exploring the significance of politeness strategies in interpreting scripture.
- Investigating the relationship between language, action, and social interaction within the context of the Christian scriptures.
- Examining the impact of speech act theory and politeness theory on understanding the nuances of biblical communication.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction delves into the core concepts of pragmatics, explaining its role in analyzing language use and social interaction. It highlights the importance of communication in fostering understanding and explores the potential for misinterpretation when language is not effectively used.
The chapter on related literature reviews previous studies on pragmatics and discourse analysis, highlighting the application of speech act theory and politeness theory in different contexts. These studies provide a foundation for understanding the theoretical framework employed in the current research.
The theoretical framework chapter outlines the key concepts of speech act theory and politeness theory, laying the groundwork for analyzing the selected utterances. It explains the different types of speech acts and the various politeness strategies utilized in communication.
The textual analysis chapter delves into the methodology and specific texts selected for analysis. It outlines the steps involved in analyzing the utterances and explains the criteria used to assess the speech acts and politeness strategies employed.
The speech act analysis chapter presents an in-depth examination of the selected utterances, focusing on the illocutionary acts performed by Jesus and the thieves crucified with him. It identifies the different types of speech acts and explores their intended effects on the audience.
The politeness analysis chapter analyzes the same set of utterances, examining the politeness strategies utilized by Jesus and the thieves. It examines the consideration of the speaker's interlocutor's feelings and the impact of these strategies on the communication.
The chapter on tabular representation of the results summarizes the findings of the research, presenting a concise overview of the speech acts and politeness strategies identified in the analysis.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The research focuses on key concepts such as pragmatics, speech act theory, politeness theory, and the Christian scriptures. It investigates the nature of utterances, the impact of speech acts, and the application of politeness strategies in the biblical context. This study contributes to the understanding of language use, communication, and social interaction within the realm of religious texts.
- Quote paper
- Chidinma Dike (Author), 2020, Selected Utterances from the Christian Scriptures. A Pragmatic Study, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/926207
