ORCID Identifier(s)

0000-0001-6479-360X

Graduation Semester and Year

2021

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in English

Department

English

First Advisor

Cedrick May

Abstract

This dissertation project introduces and evaluates the coined rhetorical/homiletical concept of the sermonic fugue. The term is an expanded adaptation of the musico-literary fugue principally in the context of thematic collections and homiletical analytics. It defines recurring—common or contrasting—rhetorical patterns presenting themselves particularly within multiple sermons. This research critiques the sermonic fugue against a select collection of African-American homiletical responses to the 9/11 tragedy. The evaluation is further conducted using distant reading and topic modeling analytics to identify the presence and notable patterns of sermonic fugues within the collection. The methodology of the research is performed in phases which involved collecting select sermons preached in September 2001, conducting appropriate computational analytics, constructing relevant datasets, and conveying the findings of the research through data visualizations and narrative storytelling.

Keywords

Sermonic fugue, Distant reading, Data storytelling, Homiletics, 9/11, African-American literature, Religious studies, Digital humanities

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | English Language and Literature

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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