‘All things are possible, if only you believe’: Ideology and Discourse Dimensions in Nigerian Neo-Pentecostal Sermons
Keywords:
messages, pastors, neo-Pentecostals, churches, Critical Discourse AnalysisAbstract
The paper is a critical discourse analysis of Neo-Pentecostal Church (henceforth NPC) sermon in Nigeria. Three neo-Pentecostal churches were purposively selected and their messages collected over a period of six months through participant observation and from online sources. The titles and themes of the messages as well as the recurring utterances of the speakers were examined in order to find out the ideological imprint imbued in the sermons. Using van Dijk and Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis model, findings reveal that the titles and recurring themes reflect prevailing contemporary challenges experienced in the country which include; poverty, disease, family related problems, and “demonic oppressions” (or witchcraft). The paper concludes that language is an indispensible tool utilized by the NPC pastors (speakers) to negotiate and construct realities in the mind of adherents (hearers).
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