Book Description

"In the dimly lit fireside room of the First Presbyterian Church, a small circle of members quietly listened to their pastor say, 'The Lord is in your presence....Empty yourselves of all other thoughts...let all your anxieties flow out of you....Open your mouth, and he will give you utterance.'" Witnessed by the author, this and many other examples of speaking in tongues form the basis of his examination of the phenomenon of glossolalia. A spoken but unintelligible form of prayer described in the New Testament, speaking in tongues was confined to a dew isolated sects until recently. Now it has found a way into mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, bringing spiritual exuberance to an increasing number while offending others. Spurred by the controversy surrounding tongue-speaking, Dr. Kildahl, a psychotherapist, conducted interviews with tongue-speakers in depth over a period of ten years. Sponsored originally by the American Lutheran Church and later by the National Institute of Mental Health, he traveled coast to coast listening to tongue-speakers describe their practice, recording their utterances, and observing their groups. From the most intensive firsthand study of the subject ever undertaken, he has written this account of the psychology of speaking in tongues. Hearing tongue-speakers report their enhanced feelings of well-being, Dr. Kildahl investigated the relationship of the practice to mental health. Here he describes the crucial role of the tongue-speaking leader in the lives of those who adopt the practice from him, as well as the relationship of speaking in tongues to anxiety and spiritual crisis. He tells what he found about the interpretation of tongues and about the connections between tongue-speaking and hypnosis. In this book Dr. Kildahl also surveys the historical background of speaking in tongues, beginning with biblical references and continuing to the current generation. Perspective is added through summaries of what other contemporary writers have said about the practice. For observers of the religious scene, as well as for those familiar with tongue-speaking, Dr. Kildahl has written this sensitive and scientific account of an increasingly frequent religious experience."-Publisher.