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On the issue of the specifics of the expressive means of Orthodox Internet preaching

https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2025-8-91-108

Abstract

The work is aimed at describing the nomenclature of expressive means of Orthodox Internet preaching and establishing the specifics in their functioning against the background of classical preaching. The material for the study was the transcription of more than 40 Internet sermons posted on Orthodox websites, channels and video blogs of Orthodox clergy, as well as temple sermons from the author’s library. It is shown that the system of expressive speech tools in Orthodox Internet preaching is based on traditional tropes and figures, such as metaphors, epithets, comparisons, antithesis, repetition, syntactic parallelism, and includes specific elocutionary means – irony and contrasting use in a narrow context of semantically unrelated but stylistically opposed lexical units. The features of the use and function of tropes in online preaching are consistently considered. It is shown that when preaching on the Internet, figurative and conceptual metaphors are used, which act in pragmatic, activation, conceptual and modeling functions. It is demonstrated that the specifics of the epithets functioning lies in the use of superlative, metaphorical and conceptual epithets, the main functions of which are pragmatic, activation and aesthetic. It is found out that comparisons are presented in the Orthodox Internet sermon with their diverse structural variants and perform interpretative and text-forming functions. It is revealed that the use of such a trope as irony, which serves to enhance the impact on listeners and activate their attention, is specific for Internet preaching. It is noted that the use of irony leads to the transformation of the stylistic dominant of the sermon.

About the Author

O. A. Prokhvatilova
Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation

Olga A. Prokhvatilova, Dr. of Sci. (Philology), professor

6-6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125047



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Review

For citations:


Prokhvatilova O.A. On the issue of the specifics of the expressive means of Orthodox Internet preaching. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2025;(8):91-108. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2025-8-91-108

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