Abstract
This paper analyses communication in pulpit discourse by examining the speech acts used in sermons from selected Pentecostal churches in Eldoret town, Kenya. Specifically, this paper discusses how preachers use speech acts in their sermons to convey specific meaning. The paper is informed by the Speech Acts theory and the Cooperative Principle. The data was collected through camcorder video recording and participant observation. The data from the camcorder was transcribed word-for-word and then analysed at the level of speech acts. The relevant texts were extracted from the selected sermons to illustrate the speech acts identified. The linguistic and non-linguistic cues that trigger the speech acts were also identified. The study revealed that the preachers make assertions and affirmations and that they also warn, challenge and advise the audience in a bid to transform their lives. From the results, it was shown that preachers perform different speech acts using different clause types. These speech acts were categorised into constantives, directives, commissives and acknowledgements. It is recommended that future research should focus on the use of idioms in sermons to examine their relevance for communication. The study analysed sermons from Pentecostal churches in town only and the researcher would recommend that the same concepts be analysed in sermons from Pentecostal churches in the rural area. Keywords: Speech acts, Sermons, Pentecostal, Eldoret town, Kenya DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/69-07 Publication date: June 30th 2020
Highlights
This paper is situated within studies on aspects of communication in pulpit discourse, on speech acts and implicatures used by preachers to convey their intentions
The illocutionary act of the preacher in the above utterance is interpreted based on the meaning of the words used derived from the relationship that holds between the words and the context in which it was uttered. 3.1.2 Stating Text 2(a) is an extract from a sermon based on applying the word of God in our lives
Text 3(a): “The country is going through transition as people prepare for the referendum + Our politicians have been moving around the country drumming up support for orange or banana + + I didn’t know they were this creative...they have composed songs in praise of banana and stuff like that” The preacher performs the illocutionary act of affirming
Summary
This paper is situated within studies on aspects of communication in pulpit discourse, on speech acts and implicatures used by preachers to convey their intentions. Pearson and Nelson (1994) define communication as the “process of understanding and sharing meaning” They further define public communication as “the process of understanding and sharing meaning with a number of other people when one person is generally identified as the source (speaker) and others are recognized as receivers (listeners)” Pulpit discourse, which refers to sermons in this study, takes place in the public setting of the church where the preacher is the source and the members of the congregation are the receivers, hereinafter referred to as the audience. The preacher shares meaning with the audience via the speech event which is the sermon.
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