ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 focuses on the application of Complex Systems Theory to religious language by first explaining the basics of complex systems and how the theory has been used in applied linguistics generally and metaphor research specifically. The concept of emergence is explained, with a focus on how different components in a system interact to produce stable states at varying timescales. Building on concepts from complex systems, the discourse dynamics approach is then explained with reference to interaction around religious issues, highlighting the benefits of investigating discourse as a dynamic system.
