ABSTRACT
The objective of this chapter is to explore the relationship between religion and language in multilingual settings with a view to determining the dynamics of flow and impact that exist between them. Religion is taken here in a narrow sense and is understood to consist of ritual practices in a belief system at the centre of which is a deity. I shall adopt as my working hypothesis the argument that some religions more than others facilitate and benefit from multilingualism and also that, on the flip side, some languages more than others have acquired or developed a capacity to convey the tenets of one or more religions and have in the process been sacrilized. Moreover, language varieties that are peculiar to religious practice have emerged and some of these languages are multireligion or multifaith languages. In terms of discursive frames, the first part of the hypothesis has a religion-perspective whereas the latter part has a language perspective.
