The Stylite

I speak in tongues. There are many contexts where I have been reluctant to admit that. At times I didn’t have a very clear way of incorporating it into my broader understanding of theology. I have also not wanted to be associated with some of what I consider to be silliness that is associated with speaking in tongues or that seems to go along with some of the other teachings of people in my theological camp on this issue. And the people I otherwise associate with on theological issues typically aren’t the kind who speak in tongues. So it has been easier just to be quiet about it most of the time. But that inner rift has needed to be closed as I find ways to evaluate my worship practices and express what I believe about issues like this one. And speaking in tongues deserves robust theological reflection. I don’t intend in this short article to develop a comprehensive theology, but I do want to offer an outline of a view of speaking in tongues, particularly drawing on the way my own the...

Often, when I get a chance to talk about Christianity with Turkish friends, the conversation turns to the structure of worship. Since Islam is anchored in large part by a shared set of practices all over the world, people think about these as the definition of what it means to be a Muslim. That is, a Muslim is someone who believes in Allah and his prophet, prays five times a day toward Mecca, fasts during Ramadan, donates a percentage of his income to the poor, and if possible goes to Mecca on a pilgrimage at least once in his lifetime. In reality, a vast majority of Muslims don't do these things, but still they understand that a Muslim should do these things. And the form of these practices is basically the same all over the world. The complex set of rituals is memorized and reproduced wherever there are Muslims. So, Muslims often wonder what the parallel practices are in Christianity. In Turkish they ask what the "shape" of our "ibadet" is ("ibadet"...