Gift of Tongues

A fourfold aim of collating, digitizing, translating, and tracing the Christian doctrine of tongues from inception until 1906.

Early Pentecostal Books on Speaking in Tongues

A brief survey of books on speaking in tongues from the early 1900s on speaking in tongues from a holiness/pentecostal perspective Early Pentecostal Books These books were selected because the authors were either contributors or eyewitnesses to the Pentecostalism of the early 1900s. This fits in with the goals of the Gift of Tongues Project …

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Early Pentecostal Tongues: Notes and Quotes

Quips and quotes taken from early Pentecostal based newsletters, papers, digests, and other material found about the doctrine of tongues.

Early Pentecostal writings are essential historical pieces concerning a significant shift in this doctrine. They demonstrate the change from the traditional idea of miraculously speaking or hearing in a foreign language to a variety of expressions under the umbrella of glossolalia.

These early pentecostal citations are given to show the problem and resolution that early Pentecostals faced regarding this doctrine. Their original concept of tongues as a miraculous endowment for missionary purposes had miserably failed. A shift in emphasis and definition was eagerly sought for.

The following quotes work through this early tension. They are not homogenous, and it is often difficult to trace continuity. However, they do work towards embracing the thoughts of higher criticists such as Philip Schaff. The majority of dictionaries and commentaries were dominated by these academics who much favored tongues as glossolalia. Glossolalia is a frenzied condition that produced inarticulate sounds. Sounds that may or may not correlate with language. Pentecostals eventually redefined the higher criticism definition according to their own experience and religious symbolism.

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Delphi Prophetesses and Christian Tongues

Did the ancient Greek prophetesses, especially the Pythian priestesses in Delphi, speak in tongues and the Christians later adapted it?

The alleged connection between the two is an important one in the speaking in tongues debate. A dispute which this article seeks to look deeper into.

The approach used to find an answer is to locate the primary Hellenistic texts that make this connection and evaluate them. The article provides English translations along with the majority having Greek or Latin sources. Each reference contains a brief analysis. The reader is not required to know either one of these languages to examine the works and can easily skip over these foreign texts.

Table of Contents

  • Conclusion

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    A Catholic History of Tongues: 30 to 1748 AD

    A Catholic history of speaking in tongues from the first Pentecost until the rule of Pope Benedict the XIV, 1748 AD.

    The following are the results of a detailed study of early church, medieval and later medieval Catholic writers through seventeen-centuries of church life.

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    An Analysis of Gregory of Nyssa on Speaking in Tongues

    Gregory of Nyssa on divine speech, human languages, and Pentecost. Gregory of Nyssa, along with Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, and Gregory Nazianzus, set the framework for the christian doctrine of tongues from the fourth-century and onwards. Although there are other narratives during this period such as John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem, and …

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    Gregory of Nyssa on Speaking in Tongues – English texts

    English translations of Gregory of Nyssa’s references to speaking in tongues. Oratio de Spiritu Sancto sive in Pentecosten I could not find an English translation of this text, so I took the time to provide one. The following is a passage from Gregory of Nyssa’s Oratio de Spiritu Sancto sive in Pentecosten. This portion directly …

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    Gregory of Nyssa on speaking in tongues — source texts

    Pertinent source texts on the meanings of Pentecost and Babel by the fourth-century Bishop, Gregory of Nyssa. The Greek text of Gregorii Nysseni’s, Oratio de Spiritu Sancto Sive in Pentecosten, relating to Pentecost As found in Migne Patrologia Graeca, Vol. 46. Col. 697 – 699 Σήμερον γὰρ κατὰ τὴν ἑτήσιον τοῦ ἔτους περίοδον τῆς πεντηκοστῆς …

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    An English translation of Blessed Andrew Speaking in tongues

    An English translation of Andrew the Fool speaking in tongues. As found in the Vita S. Andreae Sali by Nicephori Presbyteri. Andrew the Fool, often cited as Andrew of Constantinople, or Andrew Salus, was a christian follower known for his odd lifestyle that would be classified under some form of a mental illness by today’s …

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    Blessed Andrew speaking in tongues — the original texts

    Andrew of Constantinople speaking in tongues – the original Greek and Latin. Andrew of Constantinople, also known as Andrew the Fool, lived in the tenth-century. An English translation along with technical notes will be posted within the next seven days. First reference to speaking in tongues As found in Nicephori Presbyteri. Vita S. Andreae Sali. …

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    The Legend of Francis Xavier speaking in tongues

    The connection between the sixteenth-century Jesuit missionary, Francis Xavier, and speaking in tongues.

    St. Francis Xavier depicted at the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. A monument celebrating the Portuguese age of exploration.
    St. Francis Xavier depicted at the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. A monument celebrating the Portuguese age of exploration.

    The story of Francis Xavier speaking in tongues is a complex one that straddles between the real and mythical person. Though a celebrated pioneer, great organizer, highly adaptive educator, and a prolific networker, his legend is even better. This is a study of Francis Xavier, how he became connected with and the controversy surrounding his speaking in tongues. In the end, the reader will understand how the christian doctrine of tongues was understood and practiced in this era.

    The controversies that surround Xavier speaking in tongues put him into the top five narratives of the christian doctrine of tongues throughout the centuries.

    Research was a lengthly process. This is a summary of the findings. For the actual source texts, extended quotes, and translations, see Technical Notes on Francis Xavier Speaking in Tongues

    Who was Francis Xavier?

    Francis Xavier lived from 1506 to 1552 and originally hailed from Sanguesa, in a country state called Navarre. The kingdom of Navarre is long gone, but the city of Sangüesa continues to exist in the northernmost reaches of Spain. This city borders on France and is a short distance from Portugal. Xavier studied in Paris, and after finishing his education, made his way to Venice where he passionately worked among the sick. King John the III of Portugal had solicited Ignatius of Loyola and his newly formed Society of Jesus to evangelize the West Indies, especially the regions controlled by Portugal. Ignatius had already selected a number of individuals which excluded Xavier, but due to sickness of one of the original members, he was called in as a replacement. Thus began the story of one of the greatest foreign missionaries of all time.

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