RHETORICAL STRATEGY AND RHETORICAL EFFECT IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE: A COMPARATIVE THEORETICAL STUDY

This article provides a comprehensive theoretical and comparative analysis of rhetorical strategy and rhetorical effect in English and Uzbek religious discourse. Although these two concepts are often conflated in linguistic research, they represent distinct yet interconnected stages of persuasive communication. Drawing upon classical rhetoric, modern discourse analysis, pragmatics, narrative theory, and sociolinguistic approaches, the study examines how English Christian sermons and Uzbek Islamic preaching construct persuasive messages through different rhetorical strategies and how these strategies generate psychological, emotional, and behavioral effects on listeners. Through integrated examples taken from Anglican, Protestant, and Uzbek Islamic sermons, the article demonstrates that rhetorical strategy represents the speaker’s intentional linguistic and structural design, while rhetorical effect reflects the audience’s subjective response. The study argues that distinguishing these categories is essential for accurate comparative rhetoric and for understanding how cultural and theological differences shape persuasive practices in English and Uzbek religious discourse.