Abstract

The readability of a text is not merely a linguistic concern but also a philosophical and theological inquiry into the nature of meaning, interpretation, and accessibility of sacred and philosophical discourse. This study examines the factors influencing Mandarin Chinese readability from a corpus linguistic perspective, integrating a philosophical reflection on how syntactic complexity affects textual comprehension, particularly in religious and spiritual writings. Given the intricate relationship between readability and cognitive processing difficulty, this research explores how syntactic structures shape the interpretability of texts, thereby influencing theological discourse, scriptural exegesis, and the transmission of religious and philosophical ideas. Employing a corpus-based methodology, the study constructs a readability formula grounded in syntactic complexity, analyzing how intra-clause syntactic structures impact language processing. Using a part-of-speech (POS) annotated corpus, syntactic complexity variables are treated as independent factors, while grade level serves as a reference measure for comprehension difficulty. Through multiple linear regression analysis, the study identifies significant correlations between Mandarin Chinese readability and the syntactic structures that shape textual interpretation. The findings demonstrate that sentence segmentation, clause structures, and POS distribution significantly affect comprehension, influencing not only linguistic accessibility but also the hermeneutical depth with which philosophical and religious texts are engaged. By extending linguistic readability research into the realm of philosophy and religious studies, this paper highlights the implications of syntactic complexity in shaping theological discourse, ethical reflection, and scriptural engagement. It argues that understanding readability in religious texts can facilitate more effective interpretation, fostering deeper connections between linguistic form and spiritual meaning. Future research should explore how linguistic complexity interacts with theological hermeneutics, particularly in the transmission of sacred knowledge and the accessibility of philosophical thought in different cultural and linguistic traditions.