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A
"tongues
movement'' is sweeping the religious world.
Once confined
to
a
lew "lundamentalist
sects/'
it
now
linds
adherents in almost every denomination, including
sorne
ol those considered the most staid
and
tradition
bound.
lt
has
aroused
interest
among
linguists
and
psychologists
as
well
as
theologians . This article examines the studies
of
all
three
groups.
GLOSSOLALIA
The New"Tóngues"
Movement
"K
NA KAB ALE MEEKA DU BIMA,"
cried a woman.
"Thus saith the Lord, my
spirit is moving among ordinary people,
breaking forth in reviva!, not in the
temple or tabernacle, but among all my
childreo in this hour," carne the ioter–
pretatioo by another.
It was a far-from-unusual occurreoce
in the meeting of one international,
interdeoominational organization. The
meeting induded one of the thousands
of
glouolalia
manifestations taking
place continually around the Christian
world.
Glou olalia
-
coined from the Greek
words meaning "tongue-speech" - was
once confined to the scattered, small,
usually emotion-charged meetings of
various
"Pen~ecostal"
groups. But in the
last few years the caricature of the
"tongues speaker'' has been redrawn.
One finds enthusiastic believers in the
"gift of tongues" among Catholics,
Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Pente–
costals, Episcopalians, and others. Lay–
men and dergy alike participate.
A sizeable portion of the "Jesus
people" take part in glossolalia. They
by
lester
l.
Grabbe
consider it, along with other things,
part of the "trip on Jesus."
Neo-Pentecostalism- A New
Reviva!
The phenomenon of speaking
10
tongues has at least a 2000-year history
(sorne would make it even older) . This
long-and-bizarre history has had whole
books devoted to it. For a brief history
of the tongues movement in the Chris–
tian church, see the accompanying box.
But the so-called "Neo-Pentecostal"
movement is hardly more than a decade
old.
It
began to arise informally per–
haps in the mid-50's. But its public
manifestation is usually traced to the
spring of 1960. At that time the pastor
of an Episcopal church in Van Nuys,
California, explained to the congrega–
tion his experiences with tongues, expe–
riences which had beea goiag oa for
sorne time. Not surprisingly, this caused
sorne publicity and eventually the resig–
nation of the minister.
That event put the spotlight on the
new movement. Since then glossolalia
growth has continued unchecked,
causing sorne stir among the traditional
churches. Sorne approve of it. Sorne
op–
pose it. But no one can ignore it.
The movement outside the normal
Pentecostal churches has no formal
structure. But severa! magazines, among
them
Trinity,
published in Van Nuys,
are circulated for their benefit. In addi–
tion, an interdenominational organiza.
tion, the Full Gospel Businessmen's
Fellowship International, serves as an
anchor for many. It too has headquarters
in the Los Angeles area.
The neo-Pentecostals do not wish to
leave their present churches on the
whole. They are satisfied with the tradi–
tional denominations and have no
desire to join the regular Pentecostal
groups. For this reason, they want to see
glossolalia sanctioned by the hierarchy
or governing body of their respective ec–
clesiastical institutions. In sorne cases,
this has been done tacitly, if not
formally.
But there has been opposition as
well. The late Bishop Pike, while still
in the Episcopal church, issued warn·
ings against the practice. The Roman
Catholic church has tended to maintain
a neutral attitude for the moment. Most