Discourse Analysis Of The Gospels Based On The Principle Of Goal-direction

Using the Principle of Goal-direction, this thesis undertakes a discourse analysis of the four Gospels. It attempts to use modern linguistics and its relevant theories to approach a historical works which has had a huge impact on human history. The aim is to find out how Jesus, together with his followers, managed to achieve his intended goals through using all kinds of language devices and media.The Principle of Goal-direction has been regarded as a universal principle for discourse analysis. Different goals lead to different ways of thinking and speaking, and different ways of speech may cause different reactions from different people. When the discourse analysis on the Gospels is undertaken, more emphasis is laid on how the Gospel writers managed to achieve their common goal to describe Jesus as the son of God.Through the analysis, we find out in that special historical background, under the special circumstances, Jesus, together with his followers, managed to achieve their intended goals. The achievement is the joint effort of Jesus himself, the skillful orator and great teacher, the four writers who managed to write the four Gospels. This makes it possible for Jesus and his activities to be known to us even today. It is the realization of the goal as intended to be achieved by Jesus.Generally speaking, no matter what one speaks or does, it is to achieve a goal. Whether a goal can be achieved or not, it largely depends on whether a person can use the language successfully enough to arouse the listeners or readers. They may agree or disagree, believe or reject.In short, the achievement of a goal needs the cooperation of the hearers and listeners and their follow-up actions. As a skillful language user, Jesus could use the needed language devices so well that he has become the hero of the greatest story ever told, both for the people in his time and for us today. As his followers, the four writers succeeded in presenting with us a vivid first-hand written record of everything we need to know about Jesus. As translators throughout history, they made it possible for the original Greek manuscripts to be carefully and accurately translated for all nations. Otherwise we would not have had known all these events but for the work of those who believed and followed him.In theology, there is another purpose in its study and research on Jesus, and it is not touched upon in this thesis, for this paper regards Jesus as a person recorded in four different books, and the four Gospels as accounts about him. By studying how the Gospel writers achieved their common goal, it could also shed light on how we, as language users and researchers, should approach some classic works like the Bible.