ABSTRACT
Sacred writings, which are writings beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect and even fear, are associated with religion. As a complex phenomenon, religion and its sacred writings form an inextricable part of culture. Religion is a central part of human experience, influencing how individuals perceive and react to the environments in which they live (Giddens 1993, 456). This individual, psychological factor forms the first dimension of religion as a complex phenomenon. However, individuals are engaged in a community of believers or a religious organisation which involves a set of symbols, invokes feelings of reverence or awe, and is linked to rituals (Giddens 1993, 458). Religions are influenced by the social and cultural context in which they are situated, but vice versa shape the societies in which they are set as demonstrated by Karl Marx, Max Weber and Émile Durkheim (Durkheim 1995; Giddens 1993, 463–469; Gerth and Wright Mills 1948, 267–359; Marx 1952, 35–36; Schaefer 2010, 341–345). Religion involves a complex process of intercultural, interlinguistic communication influenced by sociocultural, organisational and situational factors. These sociological factors form the second dimension of religion as a complex phenomenon. The third dimension focuses on the chronological emergence of religion. Religions can be traced back in time, revealing endless forms throughout history. Some religions died together with the people who practiced them while others demonstrate great diversity in their development and interaction with other religions with which they are in contact – sometimes throughout centuries. The fourth dimension of religion as a complex phenomenon involves the oral–written tradition related to religion which is realised inter alia in sacred writings. This dimension reflects aspects of the first three dimensions in its features and is a potential agent for structural social change mainly by way of social integration and unification of individuals (Naudé and Miller-Naudé 2016; Naudé et al. 2017). The role and nature of oral and written language in this regard does not receive much, if any, attention in the sociology of religion.
