The history of language contact shows that languages of strongest influence
are those which have been supported by powerful institutions: religion,
education, government, and the professions. The close relationship between
religion, language, and literacy pervades civilization, and continues to sustain
instruction of and in languages of liturgical significance, including classical
languages such as Hebrew and Arabic, and languages of contemporary missionary
focus. Indeed, as Crystal notes, it is a common religious tenet that a
divine being has bestowed language on humanity (1997, p. 338).