A pragma-rhetorical study of selected Pentecostal sermons in Nigeria

This study examines persuasion and communicative intentions in Pentecostal sermons Nigeria. Notwithstanding the high scholarly inputs religious discourse, no single work has examined devices employed to achieve conviction as well twelve of selected preachers Nigeria by drawing insights from rhetoric pragmatic act account for data. Findings reveal that strategically deploy rhetorical question; direct address command; metaphor; repetition structural parallelism; they develop convincing arguments through logic/reason. It is also revealed share experiences with their listeners assume divine role speaking authoritatively convince into accepting propositions. Preachers perform acts asserting/stating, encouraging, assuring, directing, commanding, praising, etc. The further confirmed can be used public mobilisation.