Animal Pneumatology and Animal Glossolalia: The Case of Balaam and His Donkey. By Dr. Chapman Chen
Pneumatology is the theological study of the Holy Spirit. Traditional Christian pneumatology has concentrated primarily upon the Spirit's activity among human believers, particularly in relation to salvation, sanctification, prophecy and spiritual gifts. Animal pneumatology examines the Holy Spirit's presence and activity in nonhuman creatures, including their creation, sustenance, spirituality and redemption. Animal glossolalia is a specific concept within the broader theological framework of animal pneumatology. Animal glossolalia examines how animals may communicate spiritually through the Holy Spirit, expressing praise, prayer, lament and prophecy through vocalisations, sighs and groans.
1. Animals as Participants in the Holy Spirit’s Relationship with Creation
Dr. Daniela Rizzo proposes a more inclusive understanding of pneumatology. In her 2026 book, Animal Pneumatology, Rizzo argues that the Holy Spirit's creative, sustaining and redemptive activity encompasses animals. Animals should therefore not be regarded merely as passive objects within the divine economy, but as participants in the Spirit's relationship with creation.
For instance, Psalm 104:29–30 explicitly connects divine breath (ruach) with the existence of living creatures. Similarly, the Hebrew word nephesh, often translated as “soul”, also denotes a living being. Genesis 1:20–21 employs this term in relation to animals, while Genesis 2:7 applies it to humans.
2. Animal-God Communication
In her 2024 scholarly article, “Animal Glossolalia: A Pneumatological Framework for Animal Theology”, Rizzo proposes that animal vocalisations, sighs, groans and other expressions may participate in Spirit-mediated praise, lament, prayer and prophecy. Her argument draws particularly upon Romans 8:19–26, which describes both the groaning of creation and the Spirit's intercession: “The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).
Biblical passages also portray nonhuman creatures as participants in divine worship.
Psalm 148 summons wild animals, livestock, birds and other creatures to praise God. Revelation 4:6–8 depicts four living creatures, resembling a lion, an ox, a human being and an eagle, participating in heavenly worship. Richard Bauckham interprets such biblical imagery in relation to the worship of the whole creation.
3.Balaam and the Donkey
Within Rizzo's framework, the cries of animals subjected to confinement, slaughter, experimentation and ecological destruction may also be understood as prophetic expressions confronting human violence.
Rizzo (2024, pp. 77–78) cites Balaam's encounter with his donkey in Numbers 22 as an Old Testament instance of animal glossolalia. She suggests that the donkey's miraculous speech might be understood through xenolalia, whereby the animal is enabled to speak a language foreign to her, or akolalia, whereby Balaam is enabled to understand her vocalisations. More importantly, Rizzo regards the donkey's protest against mistreatment as an expression of animal lament, representative of the suffering of nonhuman creatures whose voices are ordinarily disregarded.
Numbers 22:21–35 recounts how Balaam’s donkey perceives an angel standing in their path while Balaam himself remains unaware of the divine presence. Three times the donkey attempts to avoid danger. Three times Balaam beats her.
Finally, God opens the donkey’s mouth, enabling her to ask:
“What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?” (Numbers 22:28)
3.1. The Hierarchy between Humans & Animals Reversed
In my interpretation, this episode reverses the conventional hierarchy between human beings and animals. Balaam is a prophet, supposedly possessing exceptional spiritual perception. Yet the donkey recognises the divine messenger before he does. Moreover, her first words are not an expression of submission to human authority. They are a protest against abuse. The animal becomes the moral witness, while the human prophet stands exposed as a violent aggressor.
Significantly, God subsequently opens Balaam’s eyes so that he too can perceive the angel (Numbers 22:31). The donkey had already communicated her distress and resistance through her behaviour, but Balaam responded with violence rather than understanding.
The narrative thus suggests that the fundamental obstacle to animal communication may lie not in the animals’ inability to express themselves, but in humanity’s spiritual blindness and unwillingness to listen.
4. Conclusion
In a word, animal-God communication exists and animal-human communication is possible. We had better listen to animals’ complaints and stop abusing them. Otherwise, God, hearing and noting their complaints, will get us.
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