Religious Identity and Deixis in Friday Sermons: A Sociopragmatic Study

Abstract

As a linguistic phenomenon, deixis holds significant connotations for how discourse, whether verbal or written, is interpreted, especially when it requires understanding the referential and contextual aspects of language in a framework of mutual communication. Deixis assumes a pivotal role in the conveyance of religious messages characterized by guidance and instructional content in the domain of Islamic Friday sermons, thereby contributing significantly to the establishment of religious identity and fostering a sense of connection between the preacher and the audience. Based on Levinson's theoretical viewpoints and sociopragmatic background, the current study examined the active effect of deixis used in Friday sermons delivered by some Muslim preachers. Hence, different types and frequencies of deixis categories have been comprehensively examined. Additionally, the study aimed to elucidate the reasons that led to the predominant type of deixis in both languages English and Arabic, in line with Levinson's focus on communicative choices. From reliable websites, ten sermons in both Arabic and English were downloaded.  This study employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to examine the data. The analysis involved examining (80) utterances, with English Islamic Friday sermons employing deixis expressions (133 times) and Arabic Islamic Friday sermons using them (93 times). The results indicated that discoursal and temporal deictic expressions were frequently observed in both languages with the personal category being the most prevalent.