Linguistic Models for Religious Behavior

Abstract

In the last issue, the author discussed the applicability of models from economics to religious change. There are also parallels between religion and language: Both employ symbols and arrangements of symbols, and both can be analyzed in terms of deep structures, kernel structures, and surface structures. Various kinds of problems can be viewed as arising from discrepancies between these levels, of the failure of one or the other to function properly. Examples of such discrepancy include racial and social discrimination in churches, and the failure of many young people to internalize the deep structure of their religion (which is shown by their casual abandonment of religion under adverse influences). Finally, comparisons are made between learning a first religion and a first language, and learning a second religion and a second language. These insights are then applied to the problem of communicating a new religion.