Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 95 No. 4, 2025.
Prethodno priopćenje
https://doi.org/10.53745/bs.95.4.5
Baptism and Speech Acts
David Grčki
orcid.org/0000-0001-9068-5995
; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Ema Luna Lalić
orcid.org/0009-0006-0313-7477
; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Rijeci, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Sažetak
This paper explores baptism as a speech act, linking J L Austin’s classic theory of speech acts with H P Grice’s pragmatic intentionalist tradition, and considering contemporary sacramental issues. In the first part, the authors analyse Austin’s conventionalism and its felicity conditions, with particular emphasis on infelicities, demonstrating how the strictly prescribed liturgical formula provides a necessary conventional framework for baptism. In the second part, conventionalism is contrasted with Grice’s intentionalist theory, in which the speaker’s intention, recognized by the audience, constitutes the basis of communicative success. The third part of the paper focuses on the case of Pastor Andres Arango, whose baptisms were proclaimed invalid for using the pronoun »we« instead of »I«. Through the analysis of this case, we establish that baptism succeeds only if both conventional (e g, appropriate formula, authorized speaker) and intentional conditions (e g, the priest’s intention to allow Christ to act through him) are simultaneously met. We conclude that sacramental speech operates in accordance with the »double condition« model, in which institutional norms and inner intention mutually support each other. This model provides a methodological framework for further research on other sacraments and ritual speech acts, and points to the practical consequences of conventional correctness or intentional appropriateness in the liturgical practice.
Ključne riječi
baptism; sacraments; speech acts; convention; intention
Hrčak ID:
343709
URI
Datum izdavanja:
23.1.2026.
Posjeta: 484 *