LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 450

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450

CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT AND LUTHERAN THEOLOGY

In recent years psychologists have also conducted controlled and com-
prehensive studies to ascertain whether participants in the charismanc
revival are maladjusted individuals, emotionally unstable, or intellectually
deprived. While older psychological opinion tended ro relate glossolalia
to schizophrenia, hysteria, group hypnosis, unadapuve anxiety reactions,
or a higher degree of suscepabiliry to suggestion, more recent studies have
claimed that such conclusions are no longer acceptable in the light of recent
sojocultural and psychological data. Gerlach and Hine have reported that
in seven studies conducted by psychologists or psychiatrists, Pentecostal
glossolalia could not be related to mental illness. Speaking in tongues was
not considered an indicator of neurosis or psychosis. Data indicate that
although disturbed individuals may be attracted to the movement, there 15
no evidence that they exisein greater proportion within this movement than
within the organized church. It as quite possible that the disturbed may be
attracted because of their great need of help, and they may even do or say
bizarre things as a manifestation of their Ulness, but ic as nor che result of
the dynamics of the movement®

Somewhat different conclusions were reached in a psychological and
linguisac examinanon of glossolalia conducted recently by the Lutheran
Medical Center in Brooklyn under the direction of John P Kaldahl, Ph D.
and Paul A Qualben, M D.. and fmanced by the National Insatute of
Mental Health According to their report, they compared the personalities
of certain individuals who spoke in tongues with those who did not. Their
purpose was to determine the relationship berween certain personality
variables and the pracace of speaking tn tongues p. 5). In their study they
employed a sampling of 39 individuals, 26 of whom were glossolaliscs and
13 nonglossolahsts All the participants were volunteers and were equated
for age, sex, marital status. and education. All were considered “very
religious. An important part of the study was a structured interview and
four psychological testes. Among the sigmfcane findings in their “Final
Progress Report were the following

1. As tar as emotional and mental healthis concerned, the (Wo groups
were found to be very similar. Neither group was mentally more
healthy than the other However, it was discovered that an in-
dividual’s level of maturity did affect the way in which he used
klossolala. The more disturbed use it in a more “bizarre” way.
while the maturer person employed tt in a more careful manner
and made more modest claims concerning its value and effective
ness /Pp, 25-261

te

Tongue-speakers are more dependent on authority hgures than
are nonglossolalises They have a strong need for guidance “from
some external authority” and a strong tendency to lean on “some-
one more powerful.” Having such authority hyures “often brings
with ic great feelings of peace and relaxation 1P 27>

Co Thetlictoae Vretes of Lathenan Chern math +

In spree of the fact thac many books. pamphlets, and articles relating
personal experiences and views have been produced by Lutheran charis:
mancs in the past decade, i¢ must be understood that notsinule voice speaks
tor the entre movernent: Moreover, no single authoriranve theological
interpretation has emerged that is commonly accepted by all charsmancs
or even by all Latheran charismancs: There ate. however, several basic
theological view points chat appear with some trequencs in the wniangs oF
Lutheran charismatis * Among them are the tollowiny

1. In the early Church those who came to faith in Jesus Christ were
bapozed with water Bur then as a second or succeeding step
they expected also to be baptized in the Holy Spire The normal
although not the onlyi sequence of events was repentance,
faith, water baptism, and baprsm in the Holy Spirit

2 Ordinarily this baptism in the Spirit was an experience that hap
pened ata dennite moment in ume and was readily recoumizable
to ail who were present since i Was accompanied by manitesta-
tions ot the Spirit, usually speaking in tongues «Aces 2 1-4
R121 TO dae. TY 1-6

The various gifts of the Hols Spirit mentioned in Scripture are
being aiven to Gods people also today and may be souhr ac:
cording to the soverenen wall of God These autts ingiude exera
ordinary faith, power to witness to Jesus Christ. miraculous heai-
Ing. speaking in tongues, the interpretadion of tongues. prophees.
exorcism, and others 91 Gor 12 4-t1, 27-31, 1 Coe tals.
A740. 1 Thess 509. 20. Acts 217-18. Mark 16 15-200 Luke
TL 1a. Aces 18. 1 Cor 13 8-12

4 Gods Word alone should determine the nature. purpose. and
exercise of these spiritual xitts

S Bapusm in che Holy Spirit and the autts of the Holy Spirit are
founded on the Word and euided bs the Word In addition co the
study of the Word and the reception of the sacraments, they are
to empower and equip the church for her minisery ot proclaim
ing the Gospel of fesus Christ to herselt and to the world

6. Bapusmin the Holy Spintis not to be wdentined with emouonal
ism. nor does it occur as d result of one 6 wresding of because one
has reached a certain stage of holiness of spicituality The bap-
usmiin the Spiritis a gitt offered by erace to both the strong and
the weak un faith feis to be charmed and received as one claims
and receives any promise in the Word When one becomes a
child of God. the Lorg wives him the Spirit as a auth. he is thea

born of the Spirit John 38-6: Bue che Christan may also be
flied or “bapnzed wath the Holy Spine) Aces 18 With
this ‘filing. the Spirit is allowed co express Himself more tully
invand through che Chrisnans dite There are. however, various
opinions among Lutheran charismatics with respect to the man

3. Glossolalists invariably initiate cheir speech in the presence of a
benevolent authority figure, in reality or fantasy (p. 15). “They
are able to develop a deeply trusting and submissive relationship
to the authority fgure who introduces them to the practice of
glossolalia) Without completely turmng oneself over to the
leader, one cannot begin co speak in tongues. In psychotherapy
this 1s called a “dependent transference” (pp 2613 This ability
to submit oneself to a mentor “1s not a function of either mental
health or illness’. rather. it is “the same general trait that 1s called
hypnotizability.” «P. 28)

4 The intluence of a leader is also apparent in the style and type of
glossolaha that is employed by a group. The Kildahl report srates
Where certain promiment tongue speakers had visited. whole
eroups of glossolalists would speak in his style of speech.” (P. 27:

5 While speaking in tongues, the individual “does not lose contact
with his environment and his senses continue to operate during
the experience. But there is an apparent lessening of conscious
control” ip. 61 Some believe chat the movement of their tongues
is directly controlled by God. This experience apparently brings
with it a teeling of peace, joy, and inner harmony, and in certain
cases gives the charismatic a “tremendous feeling of worth and
power.” Pp. 7, 291

6 Speaking in tongues “is not gibberish. The sounds appear to a
non-linguise t have the rhythm and qualities of language.” How-
ever, glossolalia as it ts practiced today lacks the ordinary features
that are characteristic of human speech and is not theretore to be
classthed among natural languages, either living or dead. (Pp. 5,
16, 2817

Lutheran charismatics feel that che Kuldahl report ss unsanstactory. They
point our, in the first place, that the Kildahl-Qualben conclusions are based
on too small a sample to be cruly scientific and conclusive. Lutheran charis-
matics also deny that the Holy Spirit takes control of che person’s mouth
and tongue while speaking in tongues. They explain that those who speak
in tongues have control over when and where chey exercise the pife ‘just
as St Paul indicates in t Cor, 14:27-281 While speaking in tongues may
be accompanied by a feeling of yoy or closeness to God, it does not occur
in a semuhypnoric state, nor does it involve the speaker in a loss of con-
sciousness or awareness of all that is going on abour him. Lutheran charis-
matics admit that many people are caught the mechanics of speaking in
tongues, bur they emphasize that others have received the gift simply in
response to prayer and without receiving any instruction or hearing anyone
speak in tongues. Finally, Lutheran charismatics deny chat speaking in
tongues means that they are specially chosen by God: they emphasize that
speaking in tongues is purely a gite of God's grace.*

While the congregations and pascors of The Lutheran Church — Missouri
Synod may find various psychological studies of neo-Pentecostalism co be
Interesting and helptul, such studies appear to be largely inconclusive at
the present ume. Furthermore. our concern as Christians should center
especially on the theological aspects of this movement

ner in which baptism in the Spirit is to be recenwed Some have
listed specihe steps thar are to be tollowed in the attainment ot
this aitt, for example. the desire tor bapusm in che Spirit. an
earnest effort to yield one’s wall to Jesus in all areas of lite, fervent
prayer tor the wift receiving the gate by faith. thanking God tor
erandne bapasm in the Spirit, and releasing the Spirit by praising
the Lord in aa unknown tongue

Speaking in tongues, which in apostol ames was one of the
manitestagons of the Spirit. is an act of spiritual dewouon |] Cor
l42 As one worships God in tongues, his mind 19 at rese and
his spirit prays, unhindered by the limitations of human under-
standing |] Gor 14 las Though the worshiper does not under
stand with the mind what he ts saying, he does have a clear sense
ot vommumon with God

S Praying in tongues i a power that the exalred Chrisc gives
members of Fis church to express the inexpressible and praise
God in new speech Itis a aitt chat should newher be disparaged
nor discouraued im che church. To despise or even cake lightly a
wittot the Spintis to put oneself in spiritual danger +} Thess
S dull.) Cor t2 al. ba day

Y Speaking in tongues is not divisive The cause of divisions in the
church is always to be found in che aenorance and sintulness of
man, coupled with the avitation and devices of Satan

100 The wit of healing, according to Mark LQ 17-T&. as one of the
sien aifts by which God manifests His power to the world ina
parncularly striking Manner Ieis one of God 5 ways of contirming
the truth of the Chrisnan messace

V1 Miraculous healing, which was vers evident in the munustry ot
Jesus as well asin che apostoli church, 1s a gift of che Spurie that
is sal available to the Christian church today However, tt does
not rind ready acceptance in our day partially because even Chris-
trans have been affected to some extent by a naturalisnc, mate-
nalistia philosophy — particularly popular in the Western world —
which rules our any direct supernatural of divine intervention
in the Gourse of human events

12) Prophecies exist in the church today even as in apostohe ames
God snll speaks directly to His children, communicaung to them
intormation to guide and direct them in a wiven situanon in
temporal matters Some charismancs assert that this word from
God comes, not in connecuon with the sacraments nor with
hearing the written or spoken Word, but ac umes of prayer of
even in dreams of in “prophecy, tongues, and intreprecation
Teas said chat this view does noe conther with chose statements of
the Lutheran Contessions that are directed againse enthusiasm.
since Lutheran charismatics uphold the principle thar conversion
occurs solely through the Gospel