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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