Axiology of Religion and Mourning Etiquette: the Aspect of Evaluation in the Text of the Obituary (on the Material of the English Language)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of axiological features of the religious sphere. According to the author, the value system of religion is based on the fundamental ideas and doctrines of a particular religion, as well as on a number of norms that exist in society; moreover, evaluation is an indispensable condition for the formation of values. The mourning etiquette and obituary, as one of the spheres of its verbalization, are directly related to the axiological field of religion, since they are strictly subordinated and regulated by certain value system. The death notices from the British media, namely, The Guardian’s section Obituaries are taken as the material of the study. Special attention is paid to considering the key elements of the obituary, describing their emotional background, as well as characterizing the main language tools with which the evaluation aspect is implemented in the context. Based on the analysis of the empirical material and statistical data available, the author comes to the following conclusions: 1) obituaries are marked by the presence of a clear structure (heading, subheading, introduction, main part); the evaluation component, verbalized by a choice of  language means, finds its practical implementation in obituaries; 2) in accordance with the mourning etiquette, the positive evaluation of the deceased and their work prevails in obituaries.