Objectives: The article aims to explore theolinguistics, a discipline at the intersection of theology and linguistics, with a focus on developing it as a distinct academic field. It examines the conditions that foster conceptual meanings within religious language and delves into analyzing religious discourse (RD) and its variants like religious popular discourse (RPD) in the context of theolinguistics. Material and methods: The study utilizes a comparative etymological approach to understand the conceptual-semantic shifts influenced by religious beliefs. The methodology encompasses examining RD through various perspectives, including the analysis of religious texts in communicative scenarios and the interplay of genre, language, and religion. Additionally, the study focuses on the criteria for distinguishing different institutional types of discourse, particularly RD and RPD. Results: The article identifies theolinguistics as a field deeply rooted in fideism, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming the original meanings of linguistic units in religious contexts. It exposes the significant transformations in religious terms due to secularization trends and discusses the concept of RD within academic discussions. The study categorizes RD into various forms such as missionary, fideistic, and sermon-like discourses. It also delineates the core and variant parameters in the organization of RPD, highlighting its sociolinguistic nature and its role in status-oriented institutional communication. Conclusions: The article concludes that religious discourse constitutes a distinct category of institutional discourse, crucial for disseminating ethical values and religious beliefs. It sets forth criteria for identifying RD as an independent form, emphasizing its unique communicative structure, thematic focus, and methodological aspects.