To be honest, not being of a scholarly mind as I'd like to think I am, this was a hard read for me to follow and is a book I will need to pick up again in the near future. Nevertheless, the fault is mine because the book is written clearly, concisely, with points made, headings provided each step of the way, and summaries and conclusions at various points where the author is emphasizing a particular issue.

In any case, in the introduction, he gives a very brief review where he will be taking the reader in each section and each chapter is overly and he provides conclusions or summaries that are very, very helpful pretty at each step of the way pretty much. Hovenden covers what "inspired speech" was understood as in the ancient pagan world, in the OT, inter-testamental and early christian periods, it's portrayal in Luke-Acts, and what the apostle Paul's understood tongues to be and it's divinely intended usage and it's relationship to Luke-Acts.

Two interesting conclusion regarding Luke and Paul's understanding of tongues. For Luke, Hovenden concludes that it is "not possible to determine with certainty" if Luke means that the tongues spoken at Pentecost were glossolalic [angelic] or xenolalic [earthly but unknown to the hearers], yet he suggests - to my surprise - that the latter may be implied. Nevertheless, Hovenden affirms the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit evidenced in the speaking of tongues was "clearly a dramatic and probably previously unknown phenomenon" experienced, most likely, by all 120 present (p.103). The author also affirms the universal aspect of the gift of tongues, that "all Christians could, in principle, speak in tongues" in his discussion of the Pauline corpus (p.159).

Hovenden also brings a more clear understanding within the Corinthian church regarding its problems related to the gift of tongues, which I found very instructive, that it was not the gift itself that was the specific issue but the Corinthian's use of it in public setting; not that using tongues in public is wrong in and of itself, but that it's main purpose in public use is primarily for edification of the community of believers and not for self-edification or self-aggandizement.

The author engages with many other well-known Pentecostal scholars (e.g. Fee, Macchia, Turner) referencing their differing views on tongues-speaking, he seems to be thorough in his study related to extra-biblical and historical issues, and wrestles with the pertinent Biblical text regarding the Greek language, context and, what was especially interesting, predominately in Luke-Acts and Paul in 1 Corinthians.

What was also surprising to me was when, to the question "whether present-day tongues are the same as the phenomenon experienced with the early church," he admitted that, "Clearly, we cannot know" (p.139)!

Although there may be many books out in the general market that discuss speaking in tongues, which are seeming superficial and one-sided, I think Hoveneden's book is a good place to start if one wishes to do a serious, scholarly study on the issue. ( )