The Persuasive Language in Religious Debates Employed by Catholic Faith Defenders and Protestant Preachers: A Discourse Analysis

The art of persuasion is central to religious debates, where proponents seek to defend their doctrine and appeal to their audiences. Examining the specific rhetorical frameworks employed in these discussions reveals the common ground and strategies shared among different theological groups. This mixed-methods study aims to investigate the rhetoric of persuasion in religious debates between Catholic Faith Defenders and Protestant preachers, utilizing the strategies employed in Aristotle's rhetorical triangle. Moreover, quantitative research, specifically the chi-square test, is used to determine differences between these two debate groups. The 21 analyzed corpora were gathered from Fr. Darwin Gitgano's YouTube channel, Punto por Punto, and other international pages featuring religious debates. The study also included 10 individuals who served as interview participants. The result revealed that the 21 video corpora comprise the different strategies under logos, pathos, and ethos. Moreover, the Chi-square test showed no significant difference in the use of rhetorical appeal between Catholic Faith Defenders and Protestant Preachers, indicating a shared rhetorical framework. Additionally, religious debates were found to enhance language learning by enriching vocabulary, improving discourse coherence, strengthening listening comprehension, and cultivating analytical and rhetorical skills through iterative, socially mediated exchanges.