My mum told me to read this, and she’s rarely wrong about good books.
John Sherril’s book is very short and readable. It is structured as an autobiography and outlines his experiences with Pentecostalism before and during the process of writing a book on the phenomenon of ‘tongues’. It’s a little dated and is set in America, but I think it is a useful read, particularly if you’re curious about tongues, feel like you’re maybe a little overfamiliar with them, don’t know why people speak in tongues or if you want to know more about Pentecostalism.
Firstly, it’s an excellent read if you want an introduction to what tongues are, where in the Bible ‘tongue-speaking’ Christians get their theology for it. Sherill was (and is?) part of a very traditional, non-charismatic church and was extremely sceptical. This isn’t my background at all, but I imagine if you’re on a journey of curiosity about the things of the Spirit, this would be a great place to start.
It’s an excellent history of Pentecostalism. I wasn’t anticipating this at all, but it was very helpful. I’ve spent the last few months at university finding myself labelled ‘Pentecostal’ by my friends at CU and not really knowing what that meant, what it meant to them, and whether it was true. Fascinating to read a history of the Pentecostal movement and begin to get answers to those questions.
I have grown up with tongues being a relatively ‘normal’ part of Christian life, and so seeing the phenomenon from an outsider’s eyes really encouraged me! I feel that perhaps I have been underestimating the power that can come with this gift of the Spirit, and it has set me towards pursing more intimacy with God. Similarly, I feel that the book has inspired me to be more bold in my walk with God, even in ways that weren’t really raised in the book. I think it instils a general courage and communicates the great benefits of taking a leap of faith with God.
Conclusion? Read it!
Warning? Inevitably, there will be stuff in this book that you find disturbing or saddening because the Pentecostal story is full of church divide and also occurred for some very real reasons that still exist. Probably if you are reading this from a non-charismatic perspective you will find a lot of this book and his eventual conclusions quite jarring. If you’re from a charismatic background, like me, there will be a lot in both the traditional church views and some of the behaviour of the Pentecostals that makes you sad. However, I think it’s an important thing to read and to think how to collaborate across church traditions and to open dialogue about what we charismatics consider to be an essential and life-giving part of faith. Ignoring the differences isn’t really unity.
Questions for those who go on to think and write on this topic:
- The question Sherill leaves us with is really vital! What does it look like to live charismatically in an environment which is not? Which, if any, of the options are a good way to live?
- How do we open up dialogue about ‘the things of the Spirit’ in a way that is kind, full of respect and collaboration?
Here’s a goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/537053.They_Speak_with_Other_Tongues