VISUAL DISCOURSE OF LIFE AND GODLINESS IN SELECTED CHRISTIAN HANBILLS: A MULTIMODAL APPROACH

Abstract

Abstract Communicating programmes that pertain to life and godliness has been a burden which the church has uniquely relieved semiotically by means of drawings and designs on their handbills. Scholars have contributed to research in language use with stint considerations for visual and impressive communication in religious discourse. This study, therefore, investigated selected visual discourse of Christian handbills with a view to examining communication as a necessity to life and godliness in the world of human beings. Using qualitative descriptive design, Kress and van Leeuwen‘s multimodal approach was deployed in analysing four randomly selected handbills. Churches that know their trade do not take language for granted in projecting programmes for proselyting purposes. Various linguistic and non-linguistic resources such as graphics, drawings, colours and letterings were discursively manipulated to project their ideologies and motifs. These encased ideological meaning signifiers were unpacked through multimodal and representational scrutiny with the conclusion that communicating issues pertaining to life and godliness transcends the use of expressive language forms.