A Discourse Analysis of Jesus’ Conversation With the Samaritan Woman
CHAPTER ONE
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The Holy Bible is one of the most sought after books in the world today. Jesus Christ who has His name or image as the central subject of discourse from Genesis to Revelation is possibly the most mentioned name in the universe. However, the interpretation of many of the teachings, conversation and events he partook in, are being subjected to diverse meaning explication by several people both in the field of religion and outside religion.
A discourse analysis of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman attempts to show how elements of discourse analysis can be used in decoding facts and foregrounded information from the Holy Bible.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we shall review literature relevant to our variables; “A discourse analysis of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman”. The literature review will focus on “discourse”, “discourse analysis”, examining the views and opinions of experts in the field and also elements of discourse analysis and pragmatics.
DISCOURSE
According to Cook (1996:6), “discourse is text and context together, interacting in a way which is perceived as meaningful and unified by the participants”. He cited several human activities perceived to be a form of discourse: consultations, lessons, prescriptions, news bulletin, brochures, prayers, squabbles, gossip, stories, etc.
The Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary defines discourse thus:
A long and serious treatment or discussion of a subject in speech or writing: a discourse on issues of gender and sexuality.
The use of language in speech and writing in order to produce meaning; language that is studied, usually in order to see how the different parts of a text are connected.
From all the above definitions, it is clear that discourse is any writing or spoken speech or text which passes or transmits information from one person to the other. It is symbolic and meaningful, that is it impacts some measures of knowledge and information to the participants taking the context into play.
CHAPTER THREE
DATA ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, our data will be examined based on the set theory (discourse analysis) by identifying the various discourse elements and functions. The discourse and pragmatic features to be used are those already mentioned in our literature review in the previous chapter. These include: participants, context, turn-taking, exchange structure, topic, presupposition, implicature, reference, inference and intention.
DATUM 1
JESUS: Will you give me a drink?
WOMAN: You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?
JESUS: If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.
WOMAN: Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his Sons and his flocks and herds?
JESUS: Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
WOMAN: Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming to draw water.
CHAPTER FOUR
SUMMARY AND FINDINGS
SUMMARY
So far in this research work, we have been able to cumb to and through several aspects of discourse analysis as it relates to our data, “Discourse Analysis of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman”.
In chapter one, we did a brief introduction to our theory discourse analysis. Also the purpose of the study, scope and delimitation and the justification behind our study were enumerated not leaving out the methodology applied.
The chapter two deals with the review of relevant literature to our variable, discourse analysis of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman, enumerating the various contributions of several scholars in the field of discourse analysis. The elements of discourse analysis and some pragmatic elements such as: participants, context, turn-taking, exchange structure, topic, presupposition, implicature, reference, inference, intention, were also examined.
The third chapter tries to show how the various elements of our chosen theory are applicable to our data. We used these elements to do a detail analysis of the data, showing how they function to make conversation effective.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Data
- The Holy Bible (New International Version), Zondervan Grand Rapids Michigan USA Secondary Data
- Balogun I (2010) A Discourse Analysis of selected parable of Jesus Christ: Unpublished B.A Essay, University of Ilorin.
- Brown G. and Yule G (1983) Discourse Analysis Cambridge: University press.
- Coffin C. (2006) Historical Discourse London and New York: The Tower Building and Maiden Lane
- Cook G. (1996) The Discourse of Advertising. New York: West 35th Street.
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- Coulthard M & D. Brazil (1992) “Exchange Structure” in Coulthard M (ed)
- Advances in Spoken Discourse Analysis.
- Grundy P (2000) Doing Pragmatics London: Hodder, Arnard.
- Hornby A (7th edition) Oxford Advance Learners’ Dictionary: Oxford University Press.
- Laniru A (2010) A Discourse Analysis of an Edition of who want to be a
- Millionaire. Unpublished B.A. Essay, University of Ilorin
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- Davies A and Elder C Oxford: Black well.
- Mey J (2001) Pragmatics Library of Congress cataloging -in -Publication Data
- Osisanwo W (2008) Introduction to Discourse Analysis Lagos: femolus –fetop Publishers.
