John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme as Prayed Glossolalia

Abstract

In this article the author offers a theological reading of John Coltrane’s seminal 1965 album, A Love Supreme. He suggests it is feasible to interpret Coltrane’s work as a musical parallel of sorts to the phenomenon of praying in tongues. The author contends that such a reading is not only possible but also desirable, since it issues a challenge to the modern Church regarding its worship practices and the use of glossolalia, making the issue important for modern Pentecostal Christian communities.