Speaking in tongues (glossolalia)
Speaking in tongues, or glossolalia, is a practice where individuals vocalize seemingly foreign languages without prior knowledge of those languages, often during religious services. The phenomenon is rooted in biblical traditions, notably in the New Testament, where early Christians believed they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak in various tongues. This practice is particularly associated with the Pentecostal movement, which emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, emphasizing spiritual experiences like speaking in tongues as signs of divine presence and connection.
During such events, participants may enter a trance-like state, experiencing what they describe as religious ecstasy. While many believers view glossolalia as a genuine spiritual gift, researchers have explored various explanations, ranging from psychological responses to stress relief, or even potential neurological phenomena. Some studies suggest that during glossolalia, individuals exhibit decreased activity in brain regions typically responsible for language control, leading to speculation about the nature of the experience. Skeptics argue that it may simply be an imitation or a constructed language, raising questions about its authenticity. Despite differing views, the practice persists among Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians today, highlighting its significance within certain faith communities.
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Speaking in tongues (glossolalia)
Speaking in tongues is a phenomenon in which people seemingly have the ability to speak in foreign-sounding languages with no previous knowledge of that language. Also known as glossolalia, from the Greek glōssa (“tongue” or “language”) and lalia (“to talk,” or “prattle”), the practice typically occurs during religious services in which a person claims to have been inspired by a divine power. The words spoken during an incident often sound like a structured language, but they do not belong to a known dialect. A similar phenomenon called xenoglossy occurs when a person speaks a recognizable language, but it is one they do not know. The practice has its origins in the Bible, when the early Christians were said to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak in other languages. Some modern Christians claim speaking in tongues is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Researchers and skeptics say the phenomenon could be caused by a mental illness or stress, or it is simply an act put on by its participants.
Background
According to the Old Testament Book of Genesis, at one point, all of humanity was united and spoke the same language. As the people traveled, they decided to build a city, and in it, a great tower, known as Babel, that would reach as high as heaven. God saw the humans building the tower and punished their arrogance by changing their speech so they could no longer understand each other. As a result, the people scattered across the land, each group speaking its own language.
In the New Testament’s Acts of the Apostles, the disciples of Jesus had gathered together to celebrate the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which was held fifty days after Passover. As the disciples met, a violent wind seemed to come over them, and a tongue of fire appeared above each of their heads. The Bible says each of them was filled with the Holy Spirit—the spiritual manifestation of God’s presence. Through this power, the disciples started speaking in foreign languages. The incident attracted a crowd of people who were amazed to hear their native languages being spoken by the disciples. Some biblical scholars believe the disciples were truly speaking in divine tongues, with each listener miraculously hearing their own language. Other scholars believe the disciples were able to literally speak the languages of nearby lands.
The Apostle Peter spoke to the disciples, telling them they should go forth across all the lands and spread the teachings of Jesus. This task would be made much easier by the gift of speaking in tongues. The people who accepted the word of Jesus would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Many Christians consider this moment to be the birth of the Christian Church. Modern Christians commemorate the occasion on the spiritual holiday of Pentecost, which is held fifty days after Easter.
Overview
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were marked by periods of Protestant religious revival in the United States. During this time, several new Protestant sects were established across the Northeast and the Midwest. Many of these new groups were composed of religious reformers who wanted Christians to adopt a more sincere adherence to their faith. The Pentecostal movement was one of the key sects that arose in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Pentecostals believed that those who lived lives of complete holiness would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This would allow them to perform miracles, such as divine healing, prophecy, and speaking in tongues.
Some accounts claim an 1896 religious revival at the Shearer Schoolhouse in remote North Carolina was the birth of the Pentecostal movement. At this revival, participants were reportedly baptized with fire and began speaking in tongues. While that account is disputed, the first widely reported claim of speaking in tongues was said to have occurred in 1901. Thirty-year-old Bible college student Agnes Ozman supposedly began speaking in tongues during a church service in Topeka, Kansas. The pastor, evangelist Charles Parham, proclaimed the incident as evidence that Ozman was baptized in the Holy Spirit. The modern Pentecostal movement was sparked by the 1906 Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, California. The revival is credited with greatly expanding the movement’s popularity.
People who speak in tongues typically appear to enter a trance-like state, sometimes described as a religious ecstasy. Accounts from Pentecostal revivals claim the person acted as if struck by lightning. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it was believed a person in this state was speaking a foreign language that was previously unknown to them. However, it was later discovered that the speech was seemingly random sounds. Linguists who have studied the phenomenon say the sounds do follow some patterns of human language, such as speech rhythm, intonation, and syllable pauses. People who experience speaking in tongues often claim to have no memory of the incident and are not aware of what they said.
A 2006 study from the University of Pennsylvania indicated that people experiencing glossolalia have decreased activity in the frontal lobes of the brain, the area responsible for controlling behavior. The research also found that while the speakers were conscious, they were not in control of the brain’s language centers that are responsible for normal speech. Believers in a divine connection to glossolalia claim the study proves speakers are being controlled by an outside force. However, researchers suggest the subjects do control when they begin speaking in tongues, but when the process starts, the experience takes over.
Other scientists say glossolalia could be a form of stress reduction technique because it triggers physiological processes associated with natural stress reduction. Additional theories suggest it could also be a form of psychosis or a mental dissociation by subjects who have a psychological need for an external force to guide their lives. Skeptics say that speaking in tongues is nothing more than a hoax and that subjects are just making up a fake language. They point to studies that asked college students to spontaneously invent a fake language. The languages they came up with showed many similarities to the languages spoken during glossolalia.
The science of neurotheology continues to study the neurological and psychological implications of churchgoers who speak in tongues. These studies have indicated that those who practice glossolalia are more emotionally and psychologically secure than previously thought. Other studies showed changes in the area of the brain that affect emotions and physical movements while speaking in tongues. While many Christians have moved away from the practice, Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians continue to speak in tongues in the twenty-first century.
Bibliography
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Hanson, Dirk. “Speaking in Tongues: Glossolalia and Stress Reduction.” Dana Foundation, 23 Oct. 2013, www.dana.org/article/speaking-in-tongues-glossolalia-and-stress-reduction. Accessed 21 May 2024.
Harper, Douglas. “Glossolalia.” Online Etymology Dictionary, 2021, www.etymonline.com/word/glossolalia. Accessed 29 Apr. 2021.
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Newberg, Andrew B. “Neurotheology: This Is Your Brain On Religion.” NPR, 15 Dec. 2010, www.npr.org/2010/12/15/132078267/neurotheology-where-religion-and-science-collide. Accessed 21 May 2024.
Sauter, Megan. “Speaking in Tongues in the Bible.” Biblical Archaeology Society, 7 Nov. 2020, www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/speaking-in-tongues-in-the-bible/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2021.
Schwab, Kathleen, Matthew Schwab, and Chris McKinney. Speaking in Tongues: Enjoying Intimacy With God Through Tongues and Interpretation. Called Writers, 2020.
Zavada, Jack. “Day of Pentecost Bible Story Study Guide.” Learn Religions, 6 Nov. 2019, www.learnreligions.com/day-of-pentecost-700199. Accessed 29 Apr. 2021.