Cover not available

Article published In: Metaphor in Religion and Spirituality
Edited by Stephen Pihlaja
[Metaphor and the Social World 7:1] 2017
► pp. 5–25

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

The light within

Metaphor consistency in Quaker pamphlets, 1659–2010

 | Lancaster University, UK
Published online: 20 July 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/msw.7.1.02kol
Abstract
This paper contributes to the study of religious metaphor by combining discourse analysis with cognitive semantics. In particular, it engages in a diachronic study of 30 pamphlets written by British Quakers and addressed to the general public to investigate the consistency of metaphor use in that genre across three and a half centuries. Consistency is seen as metaphors recording the same source domains and/or scenarios and/or lexical realisations across time, with maximum consistency meeting all three criteria.
Utilising the notions of genre and discourse community along with metaphor domains and scenarios, the analysis shows that among 19 metaphor domains that occur in texts from at least two different centuries, just under 60 per cent are highly or maximally consistent, with domains of maximum consistency being the largest group. The changing purposes of the pamphlet genre and the evolving social and historical contexts do not diminish this long-term metaphor consistency.
This overall finding is explained with recourse to the dual-processing/representation theory of religious cognition, which posits a difference between theological and basic everyday representations and processing of God concepts. Quakerism shows an overall lack of abstract theology, with Quakers instead establishing various metaphors for God to express their lived experience of the divine. The remarkable consistency of metaphors in Quaker pamphlets suggests that Quakerism makes God concepts intuitively meaningful and relevant.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.History and beliefs of British Quakers
  • 3.Metaphor in the language of Quakers
  • 4.A model for analysing metaphor consistency
  • 5.Results
  • 6.Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (40)
References
Anonymous (c.2006). Quakers: The Religious Society of Friends. London: Friends Meeting House.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Barrett, J. L. (2000). Exploring the natural foundations of religion. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4(1), 29–34. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2011). Cognitive science of religion: Looking back, looking forward. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 50(2), 229–239. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Barrett, J. L., & Keil, F. C. (1996). Anthropomorphism and God concepts: Conceptualizing a non-natural entity. Cognitive Psychology, 31(3), 219–247. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bauman, R. (1970). Aspects of 17th century Quaker rhetoric. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 631, 67–74. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Boeve, L., & Feyaerts, K. (eds.) (1999). Metaphor and God-talk. Bern: Peter Lang.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chandler, W., Pyot, A., Hodges, J. et al. (1693/1739). A brief apology in behalf of the people, in derision, call’d, Quakers. Written for the information of our sober and well-inclined neighbours. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: William Cuthbert. Available at [URL], accessed 26 July 2016.
Charteris-Black, J. (2004). Corpus approaches to critical metaphor analysis. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2014). Analysing political speeches: Rhetoric, discourse and metaphor. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chilton, P. & Kopytowska, M. (eds.) (forthcoming). Religious language, metaphor and the human mind. New York: Oxford University Press.
Creasey, M. A. (1962). “Inward” and “outward”: A study in early Quaker language. London: Friends Historical Society.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Crystal, D. (forthcoming). Whatever happened to theolinguistics? In P. Chilton, & M. Kopytowska (eds), Religious language, metaphor and the human mind. New York: Oxford University Press. Available at [URL], accessed 26 July 2016.
Dandelion, P. (2007). An introduction to Quakerism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
DesCamp, M. T. & Sweetser, E. E. (2005). Metaphors for God: Why and how do our choices matter for humans? The application of contemporary cognitive linguistics research to the debate on God and metaphor. Pastoral Psychology, 53(3), 207–238. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gillman, H. (2007). Consider the blackbird: Reflections on spirituality and language. Wallingford, PA: Quaker Books.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Graves, M. P. (2009). Preaching the inward light: Early Quaker rhetoric. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gray, S. (c.2010). So, who are these Quakers anyway? Available at [URL], accessed 26 July 2016.
Guthrie, S. (1980). A cognitive theory of religion. Current Anthropology, 21(2), 181–203. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hibbert, G. K. (1941). Quaker fundamentals. London: Friends Home Service Committee.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hinds, H. (2011). George Fox and early Quaker culture. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hodson, J. (2009). The Quaker enterprise of metaphor. Quaker Theology, 161. Available at [URL], accessed 26 July 2016.
Jäkel, O. (2002). Hypotheses revisited: The cognitive theory of metaphor applied to religious texts. metaphorik.de, 021, 20–42.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kövecses, Z. (2003). Metaphor and emotion: Language, culture, and body in human feeling. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kripal, J. J. (2014). Comparing religions. Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Leech, D., & Visala, A. (2011). The cognitive science of religion: Implications for theism? Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science, 46(1), 47–64. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
MacQuarrie, J. (1967). God-talk: An examination of the language and logic of theology. London: SCM Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Masson, R. (2014). Without metaphor, no saving God: Theology after cognitive linguistics. Leuven: Peeters.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
McFague, S. (1982). Metaphorical theology: Models of God in religious language. London: SCM Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Moore, R. A. (2000). The light in their consciences: Early Quakers in Britain 1646–1666. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Musolff, A. (2006). Metaphor scenarios in public discourse. Metaphor and Symbol, 21(1), 23–38. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nørager, T. (1999). ‘Heart’ as a metaphor in religious discourse. In L. Boeve, & K. Feyaerts (eds), Metaphor and God-talk (pp. 216–232). Bern: Peter Lang.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Outreach Committee (2000). Your guide to Quakers. London: Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Penington, I. (n.d.). Concerning the sum and substance of our religion, who are called Quakers. In The works of the long-mournful and sorely-distressed Isaac Penington etc. (pp. 441–455). Vol. 21. Glenside, PA: Quaker Heritage Press, 1995–97. Available at [URL], accessed 26 July 2016.
Pragglejaz Group (2007). MIP: A method for identifying metaphorically used words in discourse. Metaphor and Symbol, 22(1), 1–39. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Punshon, J. (2006). Portrait in grey: A short history of the Quakers. Wallingford, PA: Quaker Books.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Soriano, C. (2015). Emotion and conceptual metaphor. In H. Flam, & J. Kleres (eds), Methods of Exploring Emotions (pp. 206–214). Abingdon: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Soskice, J. M. (1985). Metaphor and religious language. Oxford: Clarendon.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Swales, J. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tremlin, T. (2006). Minds and gods: The cognitive foundations of religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
van Noppen, J. P. (Ed.) (1983). Metaphor and religion. (Theolinguistics 2). Brussels: VU of Brussels.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (7)

Cited by seven other publications

Inya, Onwu
2022. ‘As democracy grows’. Metaphor and the Social World 12:2 ► pp. 224 ff. DOI logo
Oyebode, Oluwabunmi O. & Foluke O. Unuabonah
2022. “Noah’s Family Was on Lockdown”: Multimodal Metaphors in Religious Coronavirus-Related Internet Memes in the Nigerian WhatsApp Space. Metaphor and Symbol 37:4 ► pp. 287 ff. DOI logo
Statham, Simon & Helen Ringrow
2022. ‘Wrap our arms around them here in Ireland’: Social media campaigns in the Irish abortion referendum. Discourse & Society 33:4 ► pp. 539 ff. DOI logo
Dorst, Aletta G.
2021. Metaphor. In Analysing Religious Discourse, ► pp. 235 ff. DOI logo
Ringrow, Helen
2020. “I can feel myself being squeezed and stretched, moulded and grown, and expanded in my capacity to love loudly and profoundly”: Metaphor and religion in motherhood blogs. Discourse, Context & Media 37 ► pp. 100429 ff. DOI logo
Ringrow, Helen
2021. Identity. In Analysing Religious Discourse, ► pp. 276 ff. DOI logo
Silvestre-López, Antonio-José & Ignasi Navarro i Ferrando
2017. Metaphors in the conceptualisation of meditative practices. Metaphor and the Social World 7:1 ► pp. 26 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 27 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue