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  • Speaking in Tongues

  • By: Tom Tilley
  • Narrated by: Tom Tilley
  • Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (326 ratings)

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Speaking in Tongues cover art

Speaking in Tongues

By: Tom Tilley
Narrated by: Tom Tilley
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Publisher's Summary

Told with empathy and searing honesty, Speaking in Tongues is a powerful coming-of-age story about questioning the life created for you and building your true self, one recycled brick at a time.

From the outside, Tom Tilley's childhood seemed ordinary. The first son of a pastor, he grew up in a beautiful country town where life revolved around football, his loving family and their Pentecostal faith. But behind church doors, a strictly enforced set of rules included a looming ultimatum: if Tom didn't speak in tongues, he'd go to hell and be outcast from his close-knit, devout community.

The older Tom became, the more he questioned the teachings of the church, especially around speaking in tongues. And the more he heard about his parents' adventurous lives before they found God, the more he wanted the freedom to make those 'mistakes' that the church forbade. Eventually, after years of suppressing his doubts in silence, Tom spoke up. Having the courage to do so came at a huge personal cost, leading to a decision that would take his family to breaking point. What happened next is surprising, and Tom's journey to independence will inspire listeners to ask what's true in their own lives and who they really are.

©2022 Tilley Media Pty Ltd. Tom Tilley asserts their moral right to be identified as the author of this Work. First published in English by HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited in 2022. (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd. This audio version produced by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited.

What listeners say about Speaking in Tongues

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Comforting

loved it. was good to hear someone else's story of their struggles through rci. thank you Tom Tilley

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1 person found this helpful

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And all the people said, amen.

As an ex-revivalist, this was a wonderfully honest, heartfelt take on ideas and processes that remain important to me. The story is an excellent view into the world of fundamentalist Pentecostalism.

Courage matters most when it unlocks the same in others, and Tom’s voice will invite you into an intimate journey of awakening and may encourage thoughtful consideration of faith and growth, whether or not you hail from such ideological beginnings.

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Interesting read

This book is a mirror of my life 🤯 only difference was I was in Adelaide Revival Fellowship
Tom brought back soooooo many memories, the bad and the good
Well written & it came at a good time in my life!

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Definitely not a Hack!

Tom's familiar voice and gripping story are like an oodie for the soul!
I didn't want to stop, and found myself
ùstening in the driveway after work and in the carpark, late for work!
Tom's story helped me re-visit my own spiritual origins and near miss with the Revivalists.

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A Powerful Story, especially for those of us who no longer believe.

I really related to this story as an ex-Catholic, although my experience seems light weight in comparison. Same themes though. Tom’s narration is very sing-songy, but you do get used to it. Worth the credit.

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Interesting and well told

A great autobiography with interesting characters and stories. The story seems to be an honest and raw experience, thank you for sharing!

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Disappointing narration

For someone who is famous for talking on the radio, I was pretty disappointed by Tom Tilley’s narration. It felt quite juvenile which very quickly got tiring. The story was interesting, but very basic writing with not much flair or self reflection.

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Fantastic read!

I Loved the sometimes very brutal honesty of life. Navigating twists, turns and overcoming adversity.

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Really interesting

I found this really interesting. It’s also great when you get to hear the person’s voice telling their own story, you could hear the parts of the story that Tom was very emotional about.

Having been raised in a Presbyterian church, and then straying from it during high school years, it really challenged my beliefs about what is Christianity and whether we truly “believe” in Jesus Christ. At Uni I studied Anthropology, which helped me to build an understanding of all organised religions, which is why I think Tom was drawn to journalism. The opportunity to build objective thoughts about religion, even if you “believe” is important.

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Fascinating story

Even if you don’t come from a church background or have a strong religious interest, this is quite the story. It made me wonder whether Tom has thrown him into the experiences has had over the past 10 years because of, or in spite of, his upbringing. His frankness and honesty was wonderful to take in.

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