What's All the Talk
About Tongues?

By Ian J. Hackmann 11.29.06

The debate over the Christian spiritual gift of glossolalia, heavenly language or tongues has reignited with the publication of a new study. Published in “Psychiatry Research”, the study that found that neuroimaging appears to confirm believers’ claims that they are under divine influence when speaking in tongues.

Despite the scientific evidence though, some Christian believers’ minds remain unchanged.
“I’ve read the newspaper reports but not the study itself,” said Reverend Ralph Silva Emeritus of the Southern Baptist Congregational Church. “I think the scientists are probably reaching the wrong conclusion.”

The phenomenon of tongues first appeared in as recorded in the book of Acts in the New Testament. According to the Bible, the disciples were overtaken by the Holy Spirit during Pentecost and spoke in an unearthly language, today known as tongues. This phenomenon was reported repeatedly throughout the New Testament. However, mention of tongues is noticeably absent in early Christian history outside the Bible.

Today, there are three major denominational positions on the occurrence of tongues. More traditional denominations like the Southern Baptists generally adhere to concept of cessationalism. Cessationalism teaches that the gifts of the Holy Spirit ended with the death of the last apostle who knew the physical, earthly Jesus.

Pentecostal and charismatic denominations, on the other hand, embrace and practice tongues in their services and in their daily lives. Some Pentecostal offshoots even go so far to say that speaking in tongues is necessary for spiritual salvation in Jesus Christ.

Still other denominations take a more neutral position. The United Methodist Church recognizes tongues may exist but avoids setting a specific doctrine on the issue.

Debbie Clark, a candidate for ordination in the United Methodist Church, thinks scientific evidence is irrelevant. She believes God is bigger than science.

“It is nice to see proper science confirming what we already know — God is bigger than we are,” Clark said. “But no matter how much scientists try to prove or disprove the Bible, their theories and conjectures cannot overrule my experience.”

Clark routinely teaches classes on the spiritual gifts of Christianity. She thinks scientific studies into the supernatural phenomenon of tongues are unnecessary.

“If the Holy Spirit has blessed you with the gift of tongues, it will be self-evident,” Clark said. “There is no need to confirm or emphasize the obvious.”

Contrarily, Silva believes tongues are a tool of the devil used to cause confusion in the Christian church. Silva says the scientific studies don’t prove anything.

“Even if they prove the mind is under some form of control or spirit, the question becomes which spirit? Good or evil?” Silva said. “Just because something is unusual doesn’t mean it is necessarily from God.”

Pentecostal Rev. Walter Powell believes the studies confirm what he already knew. Powell welcomes such studies and prays for more.

“Under scientific examination God will always prove victorious,” Powell said. “They used to call us Pentecostals crazy and Holy Rollers, but now we have proof that tongues are real.”

As scientific endeavors continue to attempt to validate or debunk the Bible’s claims, Christian believers generally adhere to the doctrinal confessions of their particular denomination.

“When will people learn?” Powell asked. “The same Holy Spirit that was available to the disciples in the book of Acts is available to every Christian today. Science can only confirm what God has already spoken.”