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Speaking in Tongues: Multi-disciplinary Perspectives
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 1, 2025
From a Pentecostal perspective, Speaking in Tongues: Multi-disciplinary Perspectives*(ed. Mark J. Cartledge, 2006) is a valuable and affirming resource. It treats glossolalia not as a marginal or irrational phenomenon but as a central practice of Pentecostal spirituality, explored with academic seriousness across theology, history, linguistics, and philosophy.
This anthology gathers contributions from respected scholars such as Max Turner, Frank Macchia, Neil Hudson, James K. A. Smith, and David Hilborn. Each essay approaches glossolalia from a different disciplinary angle, creating a coherent yet diverse exploration of the subject.
Key Themes
- Biblical grounding: Max Turner situates tongues within the New Testament, affirming its role as a Spirit-given gift for prayer, worship, and edification.
- Theological depth: Frank Macchia interprets tongues as a sign of Pentecost’s universality, reversing Babel and symbolizing the Spirit’s unifying work.
- Historical continuity: Neil Hudson shows how early Pentecostals experienced tongues as a marker of revival and empowerment, rooting the practice in lived spirituality.
- Philosophical significance: James K. A. Smith frames glossolalia as a “resistance discourse,” a way of speaking that disrupts dominant cultural narratives and embodies Spirit-led imagination.
- Linguistic insight: David Hilborn examines glossolalia as communication, highlighting its pragmatic and communal dimensions rather than dismissing it as meaningless speech.
Pentecostal reviewers (e.g., Shane Clifton in Australasian Pentecostal Studies) emphasize that the book is unusually coherent for an edited volume, with a clear thematic unity. It is praised for:
- Affirming glossolalia as a legitimate and meaningful practice.
- Bridging scholarship and spirituality, making it useful for both academics and church leaders.
- Resisting reductionism: instead of explaining tongues away (psychologically or sociologically), the essays take the experience seriously as a work of the Spirit.
From a Pentecostal standpoint, the book strengthens the conviction that speaking in tongues is not an eccentricity but a Spirit-empowered practice with theological, communal, and missional significance.
For Pentecostal readers, Speaking in Tongues is both encouraging and intellectually enriching. It validates glossolalia as a gift of the Spirit, situates it within the broader Christian tradition, and demonstrates its power to challenge cultural conformity. While some essays are academic in tone, the overall message resonates deeply with Pentecostal spirituality: tongues are not a relic of the past but a living sign of God’s disruptive and renewing presence.
This book is a landmark in Pentecostal scholarship, offering a multi-disciplinary yet Spirit-sensitive account of glossolalia. It equips Pentecostals to defend, understand, and celebrate speaking in tongues as a vital dimension of Christian life.
This anthology gathers contributions from respected scholars such as Max Turner, Frank Macchia, Neil Hudson, James K. A. Smith, and David Hilborn. Each essay approaches glossolalia from a different disciplinary angle, creating a coherent yet diverse exploration of the subject.
Key Themes
- Biblical grounding: Max Turner situates tongues within the New Testament, affirming its role as a Spirit-given gift for prayer, worship, and edification.
- Theological depth: Frank Macchia interprets tongues as a sign of Pentecost’s universality, reversing Babel and symbolizing the Spirit’s unifying work.
- Historical continuity: Neil Hudson shows how early Pentecostals experienced tongues as a marker of revival and empowerment, rooting the practice in lived spirituality.
- Philosophical significance: James K. A. Smith frames glossolalia as a “resistance discourse,” a way of speaking that disrupts dominant cultural narratives and embodies Spirit-led imagination.
- Linguistic insight: David Hilborn examines glossolalia as communication, highlighting its pragmatic and communal dimensions rather than dismissing it as meaningless speech.
Pentecostal reviewers (e.g., Shane Clifton in Australasian Pentecostal Studies) emphasize that the book is unusually coherent for an edited volume, with a clear thematic unity. It is praised for:
- Affirming glossolalia as a legitimate and meaningful practice.
- Bridging scholarship and spirituality, making it useful for both academics and church leaders.
- Resisting reductionism: instead of explaining tongues away (psychologically or sociologically), the essays take the experience seriously as a work of the Spirit.
From a Pentecostal standpoint, the book strengthens the conviction that speaking in tongues is not an eccentricity but a Spirit-empowered practice with theological, communal, and missional significance.
For Pentecostal readers, Speaking in Tongues is both encouraging and intellectually enriching. It validates glossolalia as a gift of the Spirit, situates it within the broader Christian tradition, and demonstrates its power to challenge cultural conformity. While some essays are academic in tone, the overall message resonates deeply with Pentecostal spirituality: tongues are not a relic of the past but a living sign of God’s disruptive and renewing presence.
This book is a landmark in Pentecostal scholarship, offering a multi-disciplinary yet Spirit-sensitive account of glossolalia. It equips Pentecostals to defend, understand, and celebrate speaking in tongues as a vital dimension of Christian life.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews