Some people have been truly enriched by the charismatic renewal and have been led into deeper levels of contemplation than I can even hope to reach. A good example would be Ralph Martin, a man every bit as influenced by and immersed in Sacred Tradition and the writings of the great Western mystics as he is with the charismatic renewal. Many of the U.S.'s modern scholars and apologists have, in some way, also been influenced by the renewal. The point is, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it outright.
Philip,
How can you say the movement itself is very good?
Do you believe that talking NONSENSE is from the Holy Spirit?
Dear Thanos,
Although I know that this is an old thread, you raised an important question. In his answer, he says that he thinks the movement is good because it brought some people to deeper contemplation.
Furthermore, you bring up what is for me a real challenge. On one hand, the Bible presents it as if the incomprehensible babble (glossolalia) in 1 Corinthians was a special gift of the Spirit. On the other hand, objectively speaking, I am inclined to think that this was no miracle. At best, it was a very natural, psychological act that people felt inspired to perform in a positive way.
I tried to think in more detail about both how the Orthodox Church looks at the Charismatic movement, and about what resemblance it has to the early Church in my essay that I posted about here:
https://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/413786#Post413786
