Glossolalia | Definition, Description, & History - Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos glossolalia Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images Quizzes Christianity Quiz Contents Philosophy & Religion Spirituality CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/glossolalia Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

• glossolalia - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

glossolalia religion Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: speaking in tongues Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

glossolalia, (from Greek glōssa, “tongue,” and lalia, “talking”), utterances approximating words and speech, usually produced during states of intense religious experience. The vocal organs of the speaker are affected; the tongue moves, in many cases without the conscious control of the speaker; and generally unintelligible speech pours forth. Speakers and witnesses may interpret the phenomenon as possession by a supernatural entity, conversation with divine beings, or the channeling of a divine proclamation or inspiration. Various psychological interpretations have attempted to explain glossolalia scientifically as an unconsciously suggested behaviour arising from participation in a mass religious gathering.

Glossolalia occurred among adherents of various ancient religions, including some of the ancient Greek religions. There are references to ecstatic speech in the Hebrew Bible (1 Samuel 10:5–13, 19:18–24; 2 Samuel 6:13–17; 1 Kings 20:35–37), and in Christianity it has occurred periodically since the early years of the church. According to the New Testament, glossolalia first occurred among the followers of Jesus at Pentecost, when “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (Acts of the Apostles 2:4). The Apostle Paul referred to it as a spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12–14) and claimed that he possessed exceptional ability in that gift (1 Corinthians 14:18). The account in Acts (4:31, 8:14–17, 10:44–48, 11:15–17, 19:1–7) indicates that in the beginning of the Christian church the phenomenon reappeared wherever conversion and commitment to Christianity occurred. The greatest emphasis upon the gift in the early church was made by followers of the 2nd-century prophet Montanus. His excommunication about 177 and the later decline of the sect probably contributed to a climate of opinion unfavourable to speaking in tongues, and the practice declined.

Also called: speaking in tongues (Show more) Key People: Charles Emmanuel Grace (Show more) Related Topics: charismata (Show more) See all related content

During later church history, glossolalia occurred in various groups, most notably during various Protestant revivals in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These revivals resulted in the establishment of many Pentecostal churches in the U.S.; subsequent missionary activity spread Pentecostalism worldwide by the early 21st century. In modern times, speaking in tongues was an occasional occurrence in Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and other more-established Christian denominations. It was also present in many non-Christian traditions.

Britannica Quiz Christianity Quiz The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.