Speaking in Tongues: A Critical Historical Examination: Volume 1: The Modern Redefinition of Tongues: Blosser, Philip E., Sullivan, Charles A., Coulter, Dale M., Likoudis, James: 9781666737776: Amazon.com: Books

Millions of Christians from both protestant and catholic camps have been filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. How can this be? Mass hysteria? Are they all liars? Are they deluded? Are they crazy? These so-called "researchers" remind me of to a strain of Christianity that teaches all miracles and spiritual gifts ended with the apostles. These types of 'believers' are those with a built in bias against spiritual gifts; a bias taught them by their church or a by their hatred/dislike toward Pentecostals/charismatics. If you're trying to justify, explain or discredit something supernatural, like a miracle or a gift of the Spirit, with western logic - you cannot, you cannot explain the supernatural with the natural."If I (Jesus) have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? - John 3:12

The co-authors have, to their credit, undertaken a study of massive proportions, and treat the sources with solid critical and historical methodology. The documentary material is dense at times, and the chronological approach is not always straightforwardly linear, but the overall points are made lucidly, and the line of argumentation is clear. Charismatic phenomena, whether as a contemporary practice or as an object of past historical and scientific study, have not always benefited from historical critical analysis. Those interested in the theological and historical backgrounds of the charismatic movement, whatever their perspective or outlook, would benefit from reading this study and its successive volumes.

Nobody likes discovering they've been had, until AFTER discovering they've been had. Like any scam, victims only know the power of truth setting them free after coming to terms with reality. The authors of this work do the historical research needed to allow the facts to speak for themselves: that the modern speaking in "unknown" tongues phenomena is mere wishfully misunderstood propaganda at best, and fanatic fantasy at worst. The next two volumes will surely further nail this coffin shut. Praise God the truth is coming out.

There is so much one could say about volume 1, but suffice it to say for now that Blosser & Sullivan have done the very deep digging required to sort out the Christian historical meaning of "tongues" in Acts 2 and 1 Cor 12-14, in contrast with some of the rather odd meanings attributed to "tongues" by German exegetes of the "higher criticism" in the 19th century, who were then followed (albeit with interesting variations) by Pentecostals and Charismatics. The scholarship here is impeccable, wide-ranging, and multi-lingual. The method is quite intriguing too, as the authors "work backwards" in a sort of archaeological dig: they start with modern times (vol. 1), then cover medieval and patristic exegesis (vol. 2), and finally end up at apostolic times (vol. 3). Having seen only volume 1 and gotten the preview of volumes 2 & 3 in its introduction, I eagerly await the publication of the rest of this ground-breaking inquiry.

I blew through this book in a week; couldn't put it down! This is an excellent historical study in how Christians have understood the gift of tongues and how that understanding has undergone an evolution in modern times. It is not a hit-piece on charismatic Christianity or anything like that, but a very scholarly historical study about the thought of various luminaries of the charismatic-pentecostal movement and their perception of tongues has developed. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the development of historical theology or British-American pentecostalism.