Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: FRANCISCO DIEGO SOUSA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : FRANCISCO DIEGO SOUSA
DATE: 17/09/2026
TIME: 15:00
LOCAL: meet.google.com/bjz-webg-nid
TITLE:

 

 

 

“Truth and justice have no fear of judgment”: enunciative responsibility and polemics in a letter from Luther and a papal bull

KEY WORDS:

 

Point of view. Public controversy. Religious discourse. Papal bull. Open letter.

PAGES: 223
BIG AREA: Lingüística, Letras e Artes
AREA: Lingüística
SUBÁREA: Teoria e Análise Lingüística
SUMMARY:

This thesis aims to investigate Enunciative Responsibility (ER) and the polemical argumentative modality in an open letter by Martin Luther and in a papal bull issued by Pope Leo X. To achieve this objective, the specific objectives were to describe, analyze, and interpret: (1) the textual plans of the open letter and the papal bull; (2) the linguistic marks that signal the Point of View (POV) and the management of voices in these texts; (3) Enunciative Responsibility in Luther’s letter and the pope’s bull; and (4) the possible means of articulation between the polemical argumentative modality and the Point of View in these documents. The study establishes a dialogue between Textual Discourse Analysis (TDA) (Adam, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022) and Argumentation Analysis in Discourse (Amossy, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018), a theoretical articulation introduced by Rodrigues, Passeggi, and Silva Neto (2016). In addition to these two theoretical frameworks, the research is grounded in Rabatel’s enunciative studies (2010, 2015a, 2015b, 2015c, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c, 2021). Methodologically, this is a qualitative study of an interpretive nature. The research follows both deductive and inductive methods. The corpus consists of the papal bull Exsurge Domine, issued by Pope Leo X, and the open letter entitled Why the Books of the Pope and His Disciples Were Burned by Dr. Martin Luther: Whoever Wishes Should Explain Why They Burned Dr. Luther’s Books, written by Martin Luther, both of which are historical documents that are fundamental to understanding the Protestant Reformation. Preliminary findings show that both the letter and the bull display primary features (dichotomization, polarization, and disqualification of the opponent) and secondary features (verbal violence and pathos) of the polemical argumentative modality. Polarization is characterized by the division of second enunciators (e2) into the roles of Proponent and Opponent, demonstrating that the management of Points of View is closely related to this mode of argumentation. In both texts, the (non-)assumption of Enunciative Responsibility is argumentatively oriented, since assuming or attributing responsibility depends on the possibility of establishing the predominance or the refutation of a thesis. The stance of co-enunciation is adopted to strengthen the positioning of the pope and the reformer, whereas over-enunciation serves to intensify conflicts and reorient Points of View in favor of the positions defended by these religious authorities. The assumption of Enunciative Responsibility is mainly marked by person indexes and modalities, whereas enunciative distancing is signaled by the mediative framework. Modalities are also employed to attack opponents and intensify the clash of opinions. Therefore, the findings indicate an interrelationship between Levels Seven and Eight proposed by Adam (2011, p. 61), concerning the planes of enunciation and argumentation, since the management of voices in conflicting texts is intrinsically linked to the attempt to prevail in verbal dispute.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 349685 - MARIA DAS GRACAS SOARES RODRIGUES
Interno - 349707 - LUIS ALVARO SGADARI PASSEGGI
Externa ao Programa - 1801855 - ALESSANDRA CASTILHO FERREIRA DA COSTA - UFRNExterno à Instituição - LUIZ ANTONIO DA SILVA