Linguistics and literary theory
The study of linguistics has sometimes involved a search
for patterns that may underlie all languages. But linguistics has occasionally also
suggested general patterns and structures that may underlie something broader than
language alone: human consciousness. This interest in underlying patterns has brought
new attention to the possible structures behind religious tales, rituals, and other
expressions of religious beliefs and attitudes. Linguistics has also examined religious
language for its implications and often-hidden values. (Consider, for example, the various
implications of the religious words sin and sacred.) Literary theory, on the other hand,
has studied the written texts of religion as reflections of the cultural assumptions and
values that produced the texts. Literary theory has thus pointed out some of the ways in
which religions have reflected and promoted the treatment of women and minorities, for
example, as different from or inferior to more dominant groups. Literary theory also has
shown that nonwritten material—such as religious statues, paintings, songs, and even
films—can be viewed as forms of discourse and can therefore be studied in the same
ways that written texts are studied.