the pragmatics of religious metaphors
TRANSCRIPT
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The pragmatics of religious
metaphors:
The Brazilian Neopentecostal context
Erik Fernando Miletta Martins
Support: Cnpq/Institute of language
studies (IEL
UNICAMP)
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Social-cognitive approaches
Textual-interactive Linguistics
Situated cognition
Reference studies
Linguistic Categorization(Constructionism)
Language and cognition arefunctionally interrelated
Category instability(MONDADA & DUBOIS 1995)
Discoursive information flow(BEAUGRANDE 1997)
Activation, reactivation, de-activation
Cognitive Linguistics
Distributed cognition
Metaphor studies
Categorization(Experientialism)
Language reveals social
brain/mind functionment
Culturally constrained
Context dependent (Kvecses
2009)
Pressure of coherence
system
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Language as activity
Reference
Language in interaction
Ongoing negotiation of reality (GOFFMAN 1972)
State of intersubjective accessibility of referents ReferentDiscourse object (MONDADA 1994)
Speakers intention to perspectivise a referent (see alsoTOMASELLO 1999)
Direction of attention
Referencing practices (Referenciation)
Discourse activity on conceptual domains for specificpurposes (KOCH 2005)
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Introducing brazilian
neopentecostalism Neopentecostal brazilian churches:
Catholic decline
Neoliberal realityBiblical metaphors
Prosperity Theology True christians
Wealthy and healthy
Ostentation/Boast
Extensive use of media Mass culture religion
Rhetorical aspects Target audience: economic lower classes
Low education
Religious growth and universalexpansion
Hollywar
Tighten the bonds of the community Economical and increasing political relevance in Brazil
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The mass appeal
- Huge concerts (any possible musicalgenre included, as long as it is
about the Gospel)
- Massive spiritual healing
- High capacity temples
- (inclusive/expansion feature)
Templo Del Castilho (Rio de JaneiroRJ)
Capacity: 15.000
SolomonsTemple replicaSo Paulo (SP)
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Context of analysis
Bi-dimensional (HANKS 1999) Dialetic relation
Embedded Social-historical elements (Ideologies and beliefs)
Comsumption desire Neoliberal economics
Pentecostal highly pragmatic faith
Determination of Godswill
Emergent Situational elements (linguistic and interactional strategies)
Construction of a shared metaphorical knowledge of reality
Symbolic exploration of embedded elements
Short narratives (biblical examples of success or failure)
The dos and donts of a neoliberal reality
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Metaphorical recategorization:
Corpus relevance
79 tokens
30 % of referencing practices
45% Nominal anaphors
Synonims and paraphrases
Repetition structures
2 basic metaphorical niches:
Superordinate (con)textual propositions (Vereza, 2007)
FAITH IS INVESTMENT
PROSPERITY IS CONSUMPTION
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FAITH IS INVESTMENT
PROSPERITY IS CONSUMPTIONRendering unto Ceasar what is Ceasars... and unto Godwhat is Gods... (1) being integrate... straightforward(reto) ...fearing Him... diverting from Evil... (2) so youllbe on this world sitting on Godstable... (3) and on Gods
table there is no hunger... no disease... On Gods tablethere is abundance
(1) Discourse object (Biblical expression)
(2) Paraphrases
(3) Effectabundance
All of you here... render unto Ceasar... because all of youhere bought clothes... bought houses... serve a boss
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Job rendered unto God what is Gods... so therewas a protective fence
Can you imagine?... Your house protected from eviland evil with no access to your house...yourbelongings protected and evil with no access toyour belongings?
Render unto Ceasar: self-investment
Render unto God: Investment in protection of self-investment
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Final words: frame reorganization and
a glimpse at semantic change?
Free circulation of goods provides wealthy/healthy
economics
Consumptionism as an index of Godspresence
True wealth is provided by God False wealth is provided by demons
Corporate business rationality
God wants you to be prosperous
Invest Partnership
Goal: Tithe/ Tenth part
Metaphysical trade
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Final words
The relevant use of repetition structures mightindicate an attempt to change the perception ofneoliberal reality of poor people
No previous hierarchy
No Calvinist predestination
Every person, no matter what, might enter GodsKingdom/Grace
Social-cognitive strategie
Lenses adjustment/calibration
(How should you see the world to become successful?)
Stablelization of focused referents
Knowledge-in-action
Success formula