Cognitive metaphor in the parables of Jesus Christ (based on the parables of the New Testament)

About the author:

Olga B. Ulyanova, Cand. Sci. (Philol.), Associate Professor, Department of the English Language, University of Tyumen; eLibrary AuthorID, o.b.ulyanova@utmn.ru

Abstract:

The article attempts to examine the parables of Jesus Christ, united by the semantics of salvation, in terms of the cognitive approach aimed at the explicit representation of implicit information conveyed by parables through conceptual metaphorical constructs. The author identifies a set of cognitive metaphors and denotative spheres — sources of metaphors employed in parables to encode primary abstract intangible complex religious meaning. The author of the article finds out that metaphorical expansion from the conceptual sphere of a person (a family, marriage) leads to the formation of an anthropomorphic metaphorical model, the transformation of the meaning from the scope of community (agricultural human activity, economic relations, social inequality) initiates a social metaphor, natural and artifact elements lead to the use of zoomorphic and artifact metaphorical constructs. Language inputs into the described metaphors have a potential for structuring the target sphere by means of denotations familiar to listeners.

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