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Author(s): Alabi David O. (Ph.D.), Tukasi Emmanuel O. (Ph.D.), Tunase Christian T., Olufemi Olukunle J., Olowokere Adenike F., Isaac Ubong I..

Volume/Issue: Volume 7 , Issue 3 (2024)

Abstract:

This paper examined the spiritual phenomenon of the use of strange or unlearned tongues in Christian liturgy in Nigerian context. Lots of arguments have been generated and writers have delved into this issue from both academic and spiritual angles but not from the liturgical perspectives of it within the ambit of Pentecostal liturgical speaking in tongues,. Even though there are divided opinions on its relevance outside the Pentecostals, it forms a unique feature among the Pentecostals. It explores the nexus of the use of tongues and Christian liturgy and how it provided a spiritual link between the human and the supersensible world. The phenomenological and participatory observatory methods were adopted in the study. The purpose of the study was to inform the readers that Nigerian Pentecostal Christianity also countenances African cosmological views about supersensible world and adopted use of spiritual languages to communicate with the incorporeal world. Theory adopted was Intercultural Hermeneutics, which gave room for the nexus between the biblical teaching and contextualization of such within African setting by virtue of their similarities. Finding revealed that speaking in tongues is crucial to Nigerian Pentecostal Christianity, incorporated into their worship, strongly encouraged both at congregational and personal worship and abused to an extent. The conclusions are drawn on the note that human language is given by God and in the absence of spiritual language, the liturgy is still acceptable and worshippers should not feel inferior to those who are gifted in tongues.

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