As David Crystal put it in an article in 1966 "...the findamental role language plays in the practical understanding , expresion , presentation and furtherance of any set of religious beliefs..."
How fundamental is this role?
If we think about a language as a science that can be studied, you´ll undoubtedly think about linguistics. For the past 150 years, the main interest of this science was the study of language in relation to its context, organization and its external functon(i.e. the connection to reality). As is decribed by Crystal: "Language must be studied in its corect social perspective as the most flexible and potentially subtle form of communication"
For him, the uniqueness of human communication and the power of discourse are particular important when it comes to the analysis of speech.
There are other principles though, for instance that all language implies intellibility. An intelligible message is one clear enough to be understood. There are simple strategies to make your discourse more or less intelligible, the use of simple or complex lexis is one of them. Secondly, The influence of context. It´s usually said thet there are as many interpretations as people who read the message. And this statement is true since backgroud knowledge,the ideas and preconceptions in their minds are different.
Having said this, you might be wondering: what all this has to do with religion?
Well, let me tell you that the discrepancies in intelligibility are most often trivial in everyday speaking but when more presicion is needed and personal and emotional associations arise, as in the case of religion, these connotations can "prove fatal to constructive discussion" (David Crystal).
(to be continued)
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