Cognitive Linguistics and Religious Language: An Introduction

This book provides an accessible introduction to Cognitive Linguistics and its application to religious language, using authentic samples from various faiths and text types. It defines key concepts and illustrates their use in analyzing religious language, with pedagogical material for learning and research.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 164 pages
Publication date: 18 March 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the realm of Cognitive Linguistics, presenting its principles and applying them to the study of religious language. By drawing upon authentic samples from diverse faiths, text types, and modes of interactive discourse, the authors elucidate key concepts such as embodied cognition, agency, metaphor analysis, and Dynamic Systems Theory. They illustrate how these concepts can be effectively employed in analyzing religious language and provide comprehensive pedagogical resources to facilitate learning and practical application. This guide is particularly valuable for advanced students and scholars in linguistics, discourse analysis, cognitive science, religious and biblical studies, as it offers insightful insights and practical methodologies for understanding and conducting research on religious discourse.

Introduction:
Cognitive Linguistics is a branch of linguistics that focuses on the cognitive processes underlying language production and comprehension. It examines how humans acquire, organize, and interpret language, and how language shapes our thinking and behavior. Cognitive Linguistics has gained prominence in recent years due to its ability to provide a holistic understanding of language and its role in human communication.
Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Religious Language:
In this book, the authors aim to introduce Cognitive Linguistics to religious language and apply its tools to analyze and understand religious texts and discourse. The authors argue that religious language is unique in its structure, meaning, and use, and that Cognitive Linguistics can provide a valuable framework for studying it.
Authentic Samples:
To illustrate the application of Cognitive Linguistics to religious language, the authors use authentic samples from a range of faiths, text types, and modes of interactive discourse. These samples include religious texts, sermons, prayers, and conversations between religious practitioners. By analyzing these samples, the authors demonstrate how Cognitive Linguistics can be used to define concepts such as embodied cognition, agency, metaphor analysis, and Dynamic Systems Theory.
Conceptualization:
The authors define key concepts such as embodied cognition, agency, metaphor analysis, and Dynamic Systems Theory in a clear and accessible manner. They explain how these concepts can be used to analyze religious language and provide examples of how they are applied in the analysis of religious texts and discourse.
Illustration:
The authors illustrate how these concepts can be used in analyzing religious language by providing examples from a range of faiths and text types. They show how religious language employs metaphorical expressions to convey meaning, how agency is expressed through prayer and meditation, and how Dynamic Systems Theory can be used to understand the complex relationships between religious beliefs and practices.
Pedagogical Material:
In addition to providing theoretical insights, the authors offer comprehensive pedagogical material to aid learning and application. They provide exercises and examples that help students apply the concepts learned in the book to their own analysis of religious language. They also discuss the limitations and challenges of applying Cognitive Linguistics to religious language and provide suggestions for future research.
Conclusion:
This book is a valuable resource for advanced students and scholars of linguistics, discourse analysis, cognitive science, religious and biblical studies. It provides a comprehensive introduction to Cognitive Linguistics and applies its tools to religious language. By drawing upon authentic samples and providing practical pedagogical material, the authors demonstrate how Cognitive Linguistics can be used to enhance our understanding of religious discourse and its role in human communication.

Weight: 262g
Dimension: 186 x 229 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367484613