‘Language’, power and liberty: Discursive constructions of Ghanaian glossolalic speeches

Abstract

Unlike xenoglossia (xenolalia), which involves speaking a language one has neither learned nor could have acquired naturally, glossolalia (ecstatic speech) is the uttering of ‘incomprehensible’ stretch of utterances while in a state of trance. Using transcripts of recorded glossolalic utterances and of interviews collected over a 3-month period as our data source and working within the frameworks of language and power, and language and liberty we demonstrate that there is a strong link between glossolalic performance and the concepts of power and liberty. Thus, we establish that one’s ability to use glossolalia and another’s ability to interpret them are constituents of power. Also demonstrated is the use of specific linguistic (phonetic, syntactic, and pragmatic) resources to seek liberty for self or deny others liberty. We show further that individuals’ institutional obligation of regulating turns and determining turn duration of glossolalic interactions constitutes power and has relevance for liberty contestation, gain or loss. Finally, we prove that the performance of power and its interpretation are tools for exhibiting liberty.