Metaphor in English-language religious sermon: Ways of metaphorical nomina-tion of the divine essence
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The article analyzes the use of metaphor in English-language religious sermons in the context of the nomination of the divine essence (God). According to the author, a sermon, including one presented on the Internet, is a special genre of religious communication, the uniqueness of which is due to the personal characteristics and oratorical skills of the addresser, as well as a wide coverage of the target audience and the ability to broadcast the preacher’s message to a mass addressee. The research material is sermons posted on the Internet (the total sample size is 500 sermons). The article emphasizes the essential role of metaphor in religious sermons, implying the possibility of using it to create a clear and familiar image of the subject, the object of discussion, which is relevant and significant in relation to the mystical, invisible and intangible nature of the Lord. Particular attention is paid to the description of the key models of the metaphorical nomination of God as the highest power of Christian doctrine. Based on the results of the empirical analysis of the linguistic material, the author identifies 6 most typical models of metaphorical representation of God, including: The Divine essence is the Dominant force; The Divine essence is a Supporter of justice; The Divine essence is the Creator of the Universe; The Divine essence is a Representative of a certain profession; The Divine essence is a Natural phenomenon; The Divine essence is an Abstract concept. Each way of manifesting a metaphor is characterized by a certain set of verbalizer lexemes and has its own frequency indicator in the sample. At the pragmatic level, the metaphorical nomination of the essence of God is aimed at the recipient, is designed to have a verbal impact on the emotions, views, value system of believers and to form, thereby, a positive image of the Almighty, introducing the addressee to faith. From the point of view of language, the main means of metaphorical nomination of the divine essence are nouns that actualize the meaning of the metaphor in the context.
Author: Ekaterina V. Miletova
Institution: Pyatigorsk State University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4405812410