Language and Moral Discourse in Selected Igbo Gospel Songs by Bro Okwey
Abstract
Language not only facilitates human behavior but also shapes moral life and the social values through which communities understand and regulate conduct. Given the importance of language in moral communication, this study analyzes the linguistic and stylistic features of selected Igbo gospel songs by Bro Okwey and examines how the Igbo language constructs moral discourse and persuades listeners. Guided by Martin and White’s (2005) Appraisal Theory, the study employed a qualitative descriptive method to analyze 62 excerpts from 97 purposively sampled extracts drawn from 28 songs. The findings reveal that Bro Okwey constructs moral evaluations and persuades listeners through modality, direct address, rhetorical questions, metaphor, personification, simile, proverbs, antithesis, irony, hyperbole, allusion, parallelism, paradox, and satire. These features activate the three principal systems of Appraisal Theory—Attitude, Engagement, and Graduation—to present, reinforce, and direct moral positions toward listeners. The study demonstrates that Igbo provides substantial linguistic and stylistic resources for creative moral evaluation, audience engagement, and persuasion. It contributes to scholarship on African language and discourse by showing how Igbo gospel songs function as sites of moral communication and may support Igbo language learning and development. The findings underscore the need for greater scholarly attention to indigenous languages as media of moral discourse, while future research could compare Igbo gospel songs with songs in other languages to determine how different linguistic resources facilitate the construction of moral meaning.