THE LANGUAGE OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION:

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

AND SOME SELECTED PENTECOSTAL DENOMINATIONS
ABSTRACT

This study is an examination of the language of Christian religion with particular

reference to the Roman Catholic Church and Pentecostal denominations. Chapter one

embodies the introduction to the study, the objective of the work, its scope and

delimitation, a brief origin of Christian religion, and that of the two denominations.

Chapter two is a brief review of the related literature. Chapter three brings out the

features of the language of Christian religion; the lexical, grammatical, metaphorical,

typographical and graphological features. Chapter four is a further analysis of the

sermons, rituals, liturgies and sacred text of the two denominations. The final chapter

includes a comparative summary analysis of the two denominations, a brief conclusion of

the work and recommendation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i
Approval Page ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ii
Dedication ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii
Acknowledgment --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v
Abstract -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vi
Table of Contents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vii
Definition of Terms-------------------------------------------------------------------------------viii

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.1 Background of the Study -------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
1.2 Statement of Research Problem ------------------------------------------------------------ 7
1.3 Aim and Objective of the Study ------------------------------------------------------------7
1.4 Significance of the Study---------------------------------------------------------------------7
1.5 Scope and Delimitation -----------------------------------------------------------------------8
1.6 Research Methodology -----------------------------------------------------------------------8

CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Review of Related Literature----------------------------------------------------------------10
2.1 Sources of Literature --------------------------------------------------------------------------10
2.2 Review of the of Language of Christian Religion----------------------------------------14

CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Features of Language of Christian Religion -----------------------------------------------17
3.1 Grammar of the Langue of Christian Religion---------------------------------------------18
3.2 Lexis of the language of Christian Religion -----------------------------------------------20
3.3 Metaphorical Language of Christian Religion---------------------------------------------22
3.4 Typographical Features of Language of Christian Religion-----------------------------23
3.5 Graphlogical Features of Language of Christian Religion--------------------------------24

CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 Liturgies of the language of Roman Catholic Church -----------------------------------25
4.2 Sermon of the Roman Catholic Church ----------------------------------------------------27
4.3 The Sacred Test of Roman Catholic Church ----------------------------------------------31
4.4 The Sermon of Pentecostal Denominations -----------------------------------------------35
4.5 Sacred Text of Pentecostal Denominations ------------------------------------------------37

CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Comparative Summary------------------------------------------------------------------------40
5.2 Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------41
5.3 Recommendation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------43
Works Cited --------------------------------------------------------------------------------43
Appendices ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------46
 DEFINITION OF TERMS

SERMON: It is a moral statement whose aim is to dictate a certain kind of

behaviors through series of examples.

LITURGIES: It can be invocations, petitions and they can be written to be read

or sung.

THEOLOGICAL TEST: It is a discursive document with a moral purpose

written by a biblical scholar, theologians or clergy

RITUALS: It is a specific ceremony to mark baptisms and funerals.

OMNIPOTENT: Having total power, able to do something.

SUPERNATURAL: Events forces or powers that cannot be explained by he

laws of science and seem to involve gods or magic.

BENEDICTIONS: A blessing pronounced at the end of church service.

CARNALITY: A state of being unspiritual.

 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The major objective of language is communication but the manner in
which language communicates appears to be interlinked with individual
experiences in terms of linguistic attitude, cultural influences and
personal perception. Register is a term that is used to describe variations
in language according to use. For instance, Thorne says that lawyers use
a legal register, doctors a medical register and the priests a religious
register ( 95).
The language of Christian religion will be examined by analysing
the spoken and written forms of the language of Roman Catholic Church
and the selected Pentecostal denominations. Christian religion is the
most widely distributed of the world religions. In the 1990s its total
membership exceeded up to 1.9 billion people (Probert Microsoft
Encarta).There are other systems of beliefs and values such as
Platonism, Marxism, Freudianism or Democracy. Christianity is in many
ways comprehensible only to those who share its benefits and strive to
live by its values.
Wilken points out that Jerusalem is the center of Christian religion,
at least until its destruction by the Roman armies in A.D 70. From it
Christianity radiated to other cities and towns in Palestine and beyond.
At first, its approval was large although it was not completely confined to
the adherents of Judaism to which it was presented as new but not a
brand new religion (820).
Leith states that in its very beginning, Christian religion manifested
a dual relation to the Jewish faith, a relation of continuity and yet of
fulfillment of antithesis and of affirmation. The forced conversion of the
Jews in the Middles ages and the history of anti-Semites condemnations
of both by church leaders are the evidence that the antithesis could
easily overshadow affirmation. The fateful loss of continuity with
Judaism has however never been total (450).
Above all, the presence of so many elements of Judaism in the
Christian Bible has acted to remind Christians that He who they
worshiped as their Lord was Himself a Jew and that the New Testament
does not stand on its own but it is appended to the Old Testament. An
important source of the alienation of Christianity from its Jewish root
was the change in membership. And at the same point ,Christians with
Gentile backgrounds began to outnumber the Jewish Christians. Clearly,
the work of Apostle Paul was influential. Born a Jew, he was deeply
involved in the destiny of Judaism, but as a result of his conversion, he
believed that he was a “chosen instrument” to bring the message of
Christ to Gentiles. He was the one who formulated his epistle to several
early Christian congregations and many of his ideas constitute the core
of Christian religion (453).
Manners says that the Christian religion is easier to describe
historically than define logically. Such a description does yield some
insights into continuing practices and essential characteristics of the
Christian religion. One of such element is the centrality of the person of
Jesus Christ. This is in one way or another, a feature of all historical
varieties of the Christian belief and practice. Jesus Christ died so that
his followers might share in the life of the Father in heaven and become
the children of God. His cruxfiction, death and resurrection, to which
the early Christians referred when they spoke about him as the one who
had reconciled humanity to God, made the cross the chief focus of
Christian faith and devotion .It is also the principal symbol of the saving
love of God the father (520).

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The Greek word Ka0aЛukoc (katholikos) from which catholic is
derived means “universal”. It was first used to describe the Christian
church in the early second century. Since the East-West schism of 1054,
Norman states that the western church has generally been known as
‘Catholic’ and the Eastern Church as ‘Orthodox’. Following the
reformation in the 16th century, the church in communion with the
Bishop of Rome used the term Catholic to distinguish itself from the
various Protestant churches (15).
According to Phayer, Roman Catholic Church is the world’s largest
Christian church with more than a billion members. Its leader is the
Pope who holds a supreme authority in concert with the collage of
Bishops. The church defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus
Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity. It operates
social programme and institutions throughout the world including
schools, universities, hospitals, missions and shelters (930).
Having played a prominent role since the forth century, it teaches
that it is “one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church’ founded by Jesus
Christ. Its Bishops are consecrated successors of his Apostles and the
Pope, as the successor of Saint Peter, possesses a universal primacy of
jurisdiction through twenty-one ecumenical councils. The church
maintains that it is guided by the Holy Spirit from falling into doctrinal
error. The belief of the Roman Catholic is based on the Holy Bible and
Sacred traditions interpreted by the church’s teachings and they are
detailed in the catechism of the Catholic Church. Catholic worship is
called the liturgy, the central component is the Eucharist (938).

Doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church

According to the Encyclopedia of Catholicism, the Catholic Church
holds that there is one external God, who exists as a mutual indwelling
of three persons, God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit
which makes up the Trinity. To Catholics, the term “church” refers to the
people of God who abide in Christ and who are nourished with the body
of Christ. The Catholics also believe that the fullness of the means of
salvation exists only in Catholic Church. It also acknowledges that the
Holy Spirit can make use of Christian communities separate from itself
to bring people to salvation.
This doctrine teaches that anyone who is saved is saved even if the
person has invincible ignorance of the church and its teaching.
According to the council of Trent, Christ instituted the seven sacraments;
they are Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Reconciliation (Penance),
Anointing of the sick, (formally extreme unction), Holy orders and Holy
matrimony. Sacraments are important visible rituals that Catholics see
as God’s presence and effective channel of God’s grace (353).
In an event known as the incarnation, the church teaches that
through the power of the Holy Spirit, God became united with human
nature when Christ was conceived in the womb of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Christ therefore, is believed to be fully divine and fully human.
Prayers to the Virgin Mary is also part of Catholic piety but are distinct
from the worship of God. The church holds Mary, as a perpetual virgin
and Mother of God, in special regard. Catholics beliefs concerning Mary
include her immaculate conception without the stain of original sin and
bodily assumption into heaven at the end of her life. This is infallibly
defined as dogma by Pope Pius ix .Devotions such as the Rosary, the Hail
Mary, the slave Regina and the memorare are common Catholic prayers
(56).
After baptism, Catholics may obtain forgiveness for subsequent
sins through the sacrament of reconciliation (confession). In this
sacrament, an individual confesses to a priest who then offers advice and
imposes a particular penance to be performed. The priest is forbidden
under penalty of excommunication to reveal any sin or disclosure heard
under the seal of confession. Immediately after death, the soul of each
person will receive a particular judgment from God based on the deeds of
that individual’s earthly life (383).
Pentecostal Denominations
Probert, Walter Microsoft Encarta states that Pentecostal
denominations dates from April 4 1906, when members of the
congregation of Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles Californian
experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This denomination
emphasized the teaching of the ‘full gospel ‘or foursquare. This term
refers to the four fundamental believes of Pentecostalism : Jesus saves
according to John 3:16, baptizes with the Holy spirit according to Acts
2:4, heals bodily according to James 5:15 and is coming again to receive
those who are saved according to Thessalonians 4:16-17.
Pentecostals greatly adhere to the doctrine of biblical teachings,
believe that the Bible has divine authority in matters of faith and adopt
a literalist approach to its interpretation. However, they differ from other
evangelicals by rejecting Colossian’s teaching. They belief that spiritual
gifts such as speaking in tongues and prophecy did not cease after New
Testament times and that they are still in still in operation today. This is
the fundamental requirement of Pentecostalism. The Pentecostal belief
and practice centers on the understanding of the baptism of the Holy
Spirit. To them salvation is received by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ and cannot be earned through good deeds alone unlike the
Catholic belief.

Ordinances and Practices of Pentecostal Denominations.

Like other Christian churches Pentecostals believe that certain
rituals or ceremonies were instituted as a pattern and command by
Jesus in the New Testament. Some Pentecostals commonly call these
ordinances, while the Roman Catholics in particular, call it sacraments.
However, the ordinance of communion is seen as a direct command given
by Jesus at the last supper. Some Pentecostals reject the use of wine for
the communion; they use grape instead. These Pentecostal
denominations are also seen in Africa and Nigeria.

1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

The problem of this research study arises from the need to know
if actually there is any difference in the language of Christian religion
considering its multifarious denominations.
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