Category
Textual or Investigative
Description
This qualitative study investigates the rhetorical function of "Christianese," the insider jargon of American Evangelicalism, responding to the need for clarity in religious communication within a pluralistic and digital society. While religious language is often studied through liturgical or interfaith lenses, limited empirical work exists on the informal, culturally constructed dialect used in everyday evangelical discourse. Utilizing Burke's (1966) terministic screens theory — which posits that language selects, reflects, and deflects reality — this research examines how evangelical slang functions as a gatekeeping mechanism that simultaneously builds community and alienates outsiders. Employing a corpus-based qualitative design, the study analyzed 142 diverse artifacts totaling approximately 885,000 words, including sermons, podcasts, worship lyrics, television episodes, and social media discourse. Through qualitative content analysis and rhetorical cluster analysis guided by a six-point inclusion rubric, the study identified and categorized 566 headwords into a seven-vector rhetorical taxonomy. The findings reveal a dialect built primarily on metaphor and semantic narrowing, characterized by what the study terms "The Pragmatic Paradox": the language is overwhelmingly earnest in tone yet functionally ambiguous to outsiders, with 80% of the lexicon carrying medium interpretive risk. This research contributes a foundational lexicon and proposes a layered model for rhetorical lexicography. Practically, the study offers a framework for a "communicative conscience," equipping faith leaders, educators, and content creators to navigate the double-edged sword of religious language so that it fosters connection rather than confusion.
Decoding Christianese: Analyzing the Double-Edged Sword of Evangelical Jargon
Textual or Investigative
This qualitative study investigates the rhetorical function of "Christianese," the insider jargon of American Evangelicalism, responding to the need for clarity in religious communication within a pluralistic and digital society. While religious language is often studied through liturgical or interfaith lenses, limited empirical work exists on the informal, culturally constructed dialect used in everyday evangelical discourse. Utilizing Burke's (1966) terministic screens theory — which posits that language selects, reflects, and deflects reality — this research examines how evangelical slang functions as a gatekeeping mechanism that simultaneously builds community and alienates outsiders. Employing a corpus-based qualitative design, the study analyzed 142 diverse artifacts totaling approximately 885,000 words, including sermons, podcasts, worship lyrics, television episodes, and social media discourse. Through qualitative content analysis and rhetorical cluster analysis guided by a six-point inclusion rubric, the study identified and categorized 566 headwords into a seven-vector rhetorical taxonomy. The findings reveal a dialect built primarily on metaphor and semantic narrowing, characterized by what the study terms "The Pragmatic Paradox": the language is overwhelmingly earnest in tone yet functionally ambiguous to outsiders, with 80% of the lexicon carrying medium interpretive risk. This research contributes a foundational lexicon and proposes a layered model for rhetorical lexicography. Practically, the study offers a framework for a "communicative conscience," equipping faith leaders, educators, and content creators to navigate the double-edged sword of religious language so that it fosters connection rather than confusion.
