speaking in tongues
Unintelligible spiritual speech
Speaking in tongues is the practice of uttering sounds or syllables that don't form recognizable language, typically during religious worship.
In Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity, it's considered a spiritual gift—evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence.
The speaker enters an ecstatic state and produces flowing, rhythmic vocalizations: The congregation swayed as several members began speaking in tongues.
Also called glossolalia.
Tongues-speaking Christian denomination
- spiritual giftsGod-granted abilities for service
- Holy SpiritThird divine person
- anointingCeremonial oil application
- laying on of handsRitual healing through touch
prophecy · faith healing · revival · deliverance · intercession · apostolic · tarrying · testimony
Semiconscious, unresponsive condition
- raptureOverwhelming ecstatic feeling
- transcendenceSurpassing usual limits
- euphoriaIntense emotional high
- altered consciousnessModified mental state
dissociation · possession · religious ecstasy · mystical experience · divine union · overwhelming · involuntary · surrender
Impossible to understand
- utteranceSpoken expression aloud
- vocalizationProducing sounds with voice
- syllablesUnits of pronunciation
- phonemesMinimal sound distinctions
interpretation · babbling · linguistic analysis · phonology · neurolinguistics · altered state · automatism · verbalization
Address to deity
- devotionDeep, loyal commitment
- congregationAssembled group of worshippers
- altar callSummons to public faith
- serviceAid or maintenance
praise · hymn · liturgy · sanctuary · sermon · preacher · minister · reverence
Mediation between worlds
- spirit possessionEntity controlling someone's body
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
- VodouHaitian spirit-centered religion
Santería · medium · channeling · trance state · ceremonial · ancestral spirits
Official laws or scriptures
- CorinthiansBiblical epistles to Greeks
- PentecostSpirit's arrival celebration
- PaulBiblical letter-writer
- disciplesDevoted followers of teachings
Jerusalem · exegesis · canonical · hermeneutics · early church · miraculous signs
Pentecostal
Tongues-speaking Christian denomination
- spiritual giftsGod-granted abilities for service
- Holy SpiritThird divine person
- anointingCeremonial oil application
laying on of hands · prophecy · faith healing · revival · deliverance · intercession · apostolic · tarrying · testimony · ministry
trance
Semiconscious, unresponsive condition
- raptureOverwhelming ecstatic feeling
- transcendenceSurpassing usual limits
- euphoriaIntense emotional high
altered consciousness · dissociation · possession · religious ecstasy · mystical experience · divine union · overwhelming · involuntary · surrender · frenzy
unintelligible
Impossible to understand
- utteranceSpoken expression aloud
- vocalizationProducing sounds with voice
- syllablesUnits of pronunciation
phonemes · interpretation · babbling · linguistic analysis · phonology · neurolinguistics · altered state · automatism · verbalization · fluency
prayer
Address to deity
- devotionDeep, loyal commitment
- congregationAssembled group of worshippers
- altar callSummons to public faith
service · praise · hymn · liturgy · sanctuary · sermon · preacher · minister · reverence · blessing
shamanism
Mediation between worlds
- spirit possessionEntity controlling someone's body
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- divinationForetelling through mystical means
Vodou · Santería · medium · channeling · trance state · ceremonial · ancestral spirits
Acts
Official laws or scriptures
- CorinthiansBiblical epistles to Greeks
- PentecostSpirit's arrival celebration
- PaulBiblical letter-writer
disciples · Jerusalem · exegesis · canonical · hermeneutics · early church · miraculous signs
- African PentecostalismPentecostalism, deliverance, born again, spiritual warfare, divine healing
- Biblical ReferencesAdam and Eve, ark, forbidden fruit, Garden of Eden, Ten Commandments
- worshippraying, congregational prayer, adoration, praise God, evening prayer
- tonguetip, root, blade, dorsum, frenulum
- church historychurch history, apostles, Protestant Reformation, Christian history, baptism
- American ProtestantismBaptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopalian
speaking in tonguespreaching
Delivering moral discourse
sermon · confession · responsive reading · benediction · catechism
speaking in tonguesplain speech
Unembellished verbal expression
meditative prayer · rational discourse · standard language · mother tongue · native language
speaking in tonguesplain speech
Unembellished verbal expression
clear communication · common language · mother tongue · everyday language
speak, speech, tongue, speaker, spoken, speaking, speaks, outspoken, tongues