“Speaking in Tongues”, for a Sharper Break with Russian Culture. The Appearance of the Holy Spirit in three Evangelical Churches in the Far East of Siberia
International audience In the Amur Region, in the cities of Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk and Nikolaievsk, glossolalia takes various shapes depending in churches where it may be observed: crying fits, yells, falls to the floor, mumbling. According to the believers, these behaviors are provoked by the divin...
| Published in: | Socio-anthropologie |
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| Main Author: | |
| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | French |
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HAL CCSD
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-04459800 https://doi.org/10.4000/socio-anthropologie.10740 |
| Summary: | International audience In the Amur Region, in the cities of Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk and Nikolaievsk, glossolalia takes various shapes depending in churches where it may be observed: crying fits, yells, falls to the floor, mumbling. According to the believers, these behaviors are provoked by the divine nature of the Holy Spirit who then comes into contact with the individual. While the latter seem to let go and lose control, to a certain extent, during these events, my observations show that it is a codified practice, and that “speaking in tongues” constitutes a mode of enunciation of emotions. This experience represents the counterpart of testimony and together, they structure a repetitive ritual model which induces for the believer a systemic break with their culture of origin: they thus stop being “Russian” and become “Christian”. The creation of a common repertoire of emotions enables the expression of a critic of the contemporary society and the creation of strategies of emancipation from this society. Based on empirical data collected among members of three evangelical Churches, this analysis aims at understanding what glossolalia, taken as an intensified space of expression, shows us of the contemporary society, as it is perceived and experienced. Dans la région de l’Amour, dans les villes de Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk et Nikolaïevsk, la glossolalie prend des formes variées selon les Églises : crises de larmes, cris, marmonnement, chute au sol. Selon les croyants, ces comportements sont provoqués par la nature divine de l’Esprit saint qui entre en communication avec l’individu. Alors que ces derniers semblent lâcher prise pendant ces épisodes, mes observations montrent que c’est une pratique codifiée et que le « parler en langues » constitue une forme d’énonciation des émotions. Cette expérience fait pendant au témoignage et avec la glossolalie, ils structurent un modèle rituel répétitif qui permet d’induire chez le croyant une rupture systémique avec sa culture d’origine : le croyant n’est plus « russe » ... |
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