A study of persuasive techniques in English and Arabic religious sermons : a comparative study

Abstract EN

The present paper addresses the issue of persuasive techniques used in both English and Arabic religious sermons.

The study aims to identify the persuasive techniques adopted in the selected sermons from both languages showing how these techniques are really devoted to persuade the audience.

Additionally, it tries to pinpoint the points of distinction concerning the persuasive techniques we have in the two elected sermons.

To achieve the aims above, it is hypothesized that both English and Arabic religious sermons witness the presence of persuasive techniques which appeal the audience’s emotions and then make them alter their attitude or behaviour.

Moreover, it is hypothesized that though most persuasive techniques in English sermon are similar to those we find in the Arabic one, some differences are available between the two.

The two researchers intend to select Alwaely’s sermon entitled (AL jihad and Immigration) as a sample of the Arabic sermon and Tillich’s sermon (You Are Accepted) as a sample for the English one.

After examining the corpus, the researchers have found out that though most persuasive techniques are present in both sermons, still some points of difference are available between the two.