More on T.O and Religion

I've found an interesting quote that continues on the theme of religion, and to me suggests (as Andrew did) the possibility of a T.O that is religious. "Jesus said, "Whereever two or more are gathered together, I am in their midst

"Jesus said, "Wherever two or more are gathered together, I am in their midst." Jesus said this because wherever two or more are gathered together, there is communion, there is language, there is imagination, there is God. God is a product of a creative imagination, and God is that imagination taken flight." (The full lecture this was taken from can be found here: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=891845&lastnode_id=0 )

I think that this statement summarizes rather well the religious potential of T.O., proposing that God is not necessarily an individual entity, but humanity itself (althogh I'm certain you could interpret this differently). The lecture also places an emphasis on the importance of language and communication. This gains in relevance when one considers that Steinbeck said during his Nobel Prize acceptance speech that "Literature is as old as speech. It grew out of human need for it and it has not changed except to become more needed.". The rest of this speech as well as other sources suggest that Steinbeck placed a immense value on communication and literature. Could the importance of speech and communication be intrinsic to the idea of T.O. in Grapes ?

Casy, the greatest interpreter of T.O. in the novel also seems to suggest this. He spends time isolated from society, hoping to find himself. His conclusion is that he must return to society, as he does by joining the Joad family. This necessitates a move from introspection to open communication with others. Also, a lack of communication between individuals is what creates many of the conflicts between individuals in Grapes.

In brief, I think that proper communication is indeed necesary to the idea of an oversoul. Furthermore, I agree with Andrew that T.O. could be a religious force, but not of the type we traditionally associate with religion.

P.S.: Sorry for not commenting more on the various characters, and how they represent T.O.. I'll try to get to it tomorrow.
P.P.S.: Has anyone found any images that illustrate the concept of T.O.?