The Gift of Tongues: Ecstatic Utterance or Foreign Languages? the Linguistic Evidence - Hardcover

by Bruce A. Edminster (Author)

Of all the theological issues discussed in Christian circles, few have received more attention than the New Testament "gift of tongues." Were the tongues at Corinth "real languages," or something else? Some charismatics and an assortment of sympathetic observers, spurred on by modern linguistic analyses of audio recordings of modern tongues vocalizations, argue that modern tongues and the tongues in Corinth alike are not real languages at all. The questions Bruce Edminster seeks to answer in The Gift of Tongues include whether the Corinthian gift is the same as the one found in the book of Acts, what is the meaning and significance of the word "edification" in the context of the Corinthian phenomenon, and is the gift of tongues "real" language, the language of the angels, or a non-language? Further consideration asks what should the "gift of tongues" should be used for? Evangelism? Personal devotion? Self-gratification?

Author Biography

Bruce A. Edminster began his career as a pastor in Southern California in the early 1970s. He then took a leave of absence from pastoral work in hope of attending Fuller Theological Seminary to work on a Ph.D. Those plans had to be shelved until some years later. Then he took online courses from Northwestern Theological Seminary, completing his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies in March 2021.
Dr. Edminster has taught Bible classes in churches in Southern California for years. He also holds a B.A. in Theology, with a minor in Biblical Languages, and a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University Theological Seminary, with a major concentration in Biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Greek, and Egyptian Hieroglyphics). Years prior to this, he had taken four years of Latin in high school.