I recently had a discussion with priests involved with the Charismatic renewal. In our conversation, I proposed a theory I have about speaking in tongues, and they seemed to agree with my argument. My thesis is relatively simple. Throughout the history of Christian spirituality, there has been an understanding of the limitations of discursive reasoning. Often our discursive reasoning prevents us from listening to the promptings of the Spirit because we become trapped in our limited ways of thinking. Speaking in tongues, at least as I understand it, is a practice whereby believers are opened to the Spirit by allowing their prayer to move from the head to the heart.
In this way, speaking in tongues helps awaken the intuitive mind. In my thinking, I tend to distinguish between the intuitive and the analytic mind. I would argue that both are necessarily, and that the two form a complementary balance. The intuitive mind is more direct, and instead of analysis and careful consideration, it relies more gut feelings and inspiration. In contrast, the analytic mind relies more are careful analysis, using procedure, logic, and developed argumentation to move from point to point. Without analysis and critique, intuition becomes overly flexible and inconsistent.
Often in our prayer lives, we have to learn to balance between the two. Intuitions and inspirations must be measured against the rule of faith and carefully discerned within the context of the Church. However, a person who fails to allow for such intuitions and inspirations soon becomes a prisoner of their reasoning. Instead of the spontaneity and rest of the Spirit, for such people religion can become a cold formula of rules and obligations. Movements such as the Charismatic renewal are often in response to such a sanitized spiritual environment.
Today I went to the Diocese of Trenton Charismatic Renewal Rally. It was wonderful, about 1500 people and a couple great speakers. It was so nice to see people on fire for the faith. Our bishop came for the mass. It was cool hearing the tounges. It sounded like angels.
Glory be to God! The Catholic church needs the fire of the Holy Ghost to burn away the chaff of rigidity and legalism, to ignite the spark of holiness in our hearts, and to consume us in the ecstasy of spiritual dialogue between us and the Spirit; which is tongues. Fire does all three things; burn, ignite and consume, so it’s no happenstance that the Holy Ghost is likened to fire. I do believe that there must remain order and decency during the Mass, and am not promoting the spontaneous interruption and sometimes disruption I see in Protestant Pentecostal, Holiness, Pentecostal Holiness, Apostolic Holiness, and Wesleyan churches. However, I do believe there is a reverent way to include both Liturgy and Pentecost. No matter the denomination, you rarely see both elements; Liturgy and Pentecost, sharing the same dwelling, one is usually sacrificed for the other. In our Catholic, Anglo-Catholic, and Orthodox churches we have Liturgy down packed, but little in the way of true Pentecostal experience(s). In the Pentecostal (and pentecostal-esq) churches, there is the fire of Pentecost burning constantly; shouting, dancing, running the aisles, clapping, laying on of hands, quickening of the Spirit, and of course; speaking in tongues, but no Liturgy. I submit that if we can find a happy and acceptable medium in our worship that includes both elements, then we can abandon the “Catholic Come Home” campaign, because the Spirit would indeed add to the church daily as it was in the early church as described in the book of Acts.
Deacon Ian,
Thanks so much for bringing more light to the Charismatic Movement! Being a part of a charismatic parish, I am always looking to learn more and hear others’ thoughts.
Your thoughts on the balance between reasoning and intuition are spot on. Isn’t life always about balance? 🙂
One thing I would like to bring up is the difference between speaking in tongues and praying in tongues. I believe that through Confirmation we all receive the gift of praying in tongues, but speaking in tongues is a gift that few possess. I think it is important for people to know the difference because it makes it more accessible.
People often think that praying in tongues is something supernatural and out of their control, but that is not the case. In fact, praying in tongues is something you control very much. It is a conscious method of praying. We can all do it!
There are some good articles here: http://www.ctkcc.net/who-we-are/
Thanks again for writing about this!
Thanks for the valuable distinction.
Hello Jenna. Thanks very much for the article, and presenting a platform for us to talk about the subject of tongues, which can be widely misunderstood.
I would like to share with you my personal experience, which I’m sure many (if not all) people who have experienced what is termed ‘glossolalia’ will relate to.
The day I first spoke in tongues. I’ll cut to the chase – My cousin, Aye, came over for December holidays (that’s what we call it in Durban). It was her first time visiting my family. Eventually she (cousin Aye) became comfortable enough, and she started telling me personal things that she had been going through… The kind of things that would require emotional rehabilitation. Anyway the atmosphere was depressing, and the only thing I could say to her was ‘let’s pray’.
We prayed.
As we prayed, the atmosphere got from depressing, to hopeful, and finally became intense. Suddenly my tongue tingled as if I was getting a cramp (ON MY TONGUE) but there was no pain, and then it felt as if I was no longer in control of my tongue… anyway all who’ve experienced ‘gossolalia’ all remember their first experiences.
So what were the outcomes of this experience. I felt a immense peace. I felt connected to God (or whatever you call Him). I also felt connected with other people (to the point of feeling everything that they felt emotionally). If I sat to a sad person, I would become sad, and if I sat next to a happy person I’d also share in that whether they believed in God or not (duh).
Ever since that day, I never lose the feeling of great peace as long as I keep to meditation and prayer habits.
When speaking in tongues, one does not understand himself or herself (according to my experience) but understanding what you are saying is not the object of the matter anyway.
Whilst speaking in tongues, in deep prayer. What happens is that I would become less and less concerned about the outside environment and begin focusing more on that familiar ‘personal feeling’ relationship with God.
As I focus on that feeling, I begin to feel worries suddenly separating themselves from me, and I begin to get the feeling that worries can’t enter into the place I am going to. As soon as the worries come away, something happens, I then start feeling the life problems of others as if they were my own… The worries of others come to me in a form of an emotion, and when I am in that state of high I am able to decifer the emotion, who it’s coming from, what it’s about. When I get a message I then deliver it to its recipient. Sometimes it doesn’t become revealed to me what the message means, only what the message is and who it is for.
So in my experience, speaking in tongues has helped me reach a spiritual high to be able to to interpret emotional vibes in peooles lives. There are many other things I have experienced ever since after that day with my cousin, Aye. Many of which would sound like a science fiction movie.