Description
Metaphors used by Jesus Christ in His Preaching Ministry: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach
Mary Nguvi Muindi
School of Education Arts,
Kabarak University,
NAKURU, Kenya
E-mail:marymuindi@kabarak.ac.ke
Dr. Antony Somba
School of Education Arts,
Kabarak University,
NAKURU, Kenya
E-mail: Asomba@kabarak.ac.ke
Rev. Justus Mutuku
School of Education Arts,
Kabarak University,
NAKURU, Kenya
E-mail: JMutuku@kabarak.ac.ke
ABSTRACT
Metaphors are ubiquitous linguistic and conceptual devices found in spoken and written discourse that help people comprehend complex information and influence behaviour change. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to societies' moral and spiritual collapse due to the occasioned lockdowns that led to an increase in teenage pregnancy. One way of rebuilding the lost value system among the youth is by examining the metaphors that Jesus Christ used in His preaching ministry to understand His call to holiness among His disciples. This research thus aims to investigate the meaning of the metaphors that Jesus Christ used in His preaching ministry from a Cognitive Linguistic framework. The study's objectives will be to describe the metaphors used by Jesus Christ in His preaching ministry and investigate the function of the metaphors used by Jesus Christ in His preaching ministry. Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson, 2003) and Relevance Theory (Sperber and Wilson, 1995) will anchor the study. The research will use descriptive research design to analyze the metaphors used by Jesus Christ in the New Testament. The target population for this study will be 76 metaphors used in the New Testament. Eight metaphors will form the sample size of the current research. Content analysis will be used to analyze the qualitative data. The research findings will help in the interpretation of metaphors, the teaching of values among teenagers, and help in upholding integrity as a call to holiness by Jesus Christ.
Keywords: Metaphors, Cognitive Linguistics, Jesus Christ and New Testament
