With the Sarah Palin selection, and the news reports that she was raised Pentecostal and still attends an Assembly of God church occasionally, I have been posting some comments to answer questions about what it means to be Pentecostal.
I was raised Pentecostal. For all I know, I'm the only one with that personal background here. I left the church by the time I was in college, but I know it thoroughly. My grandfather was a respected Pentecostal minister, as were several of my uncles. My mother was an assistant pastor (more on women in the church below).
If you are not familiar with the group, and have an interest in Palin's religious background, I'll try to explain the church below the fold.
Pentecostals, and Assembly of God, are first and foremost charismatic churches. They seem to be lumped with fundamentalists, but that is not entirely accurate. Fundamentalists and charismatics are closely overlapping, but not identical, groups.
There are charismatic movements in recent years in almost all denominations, protestant and Catholic. A charismatic is not necessarily a fundamentalist. Fundamentalists, in the simplest definition I think, are those who base their religion on a literal reading of the Bible and believe that they must stick to those fundamentals - resulting in the belief in creationism, subservience of women, etc. Charismatics are those who believe in an emotional, one-on-one relationship with their god demonstrated by the emotional outpourings in their services. The early charismatics were the "holy-rollers" who got swept away in the spirit.
Pentecostals are a rather fundamentalist group of charismatics. Assembly of God is a little less strictly fundamentalist on some of the details, but still fairly fundamentalist. For both, however, the over-riding charismatic nature of the church distinguishes them from other fundamentalists.
I grew up Pentecostal, as Palin did. The Pentecostal church is based upon Bible verses in the Book of Acts, primarily 2:38. Acts 2:1-4 states:
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filed with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gve them utterance.
The Pentecostals believe that they can - must - undergo this experience of speaking in tongues, or receiving the Holy Ghost, to be saved. They base it on Acts 2:38:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
THAT is the essence of the Pentecostal church. The rules, the fundamentalist trappings, etc. are secondary. They believe that god comes down to them and personally speaks through them in another language. They believe in the "gifts of the spirit" of healing, tongues and interpretation (one spouting gibberish and another spouting the "interpretation"), casting out demons, etc. If Sarah Palin grew up Pentecostal, I'd stake everything I know from my first 18 years of life on the fact that she "spoke in tongues", as I did. If she retains any of her belief in the religion of her youth, she still believes in Acts 2:38.
I don't know exactly what the speaking in tongues is. Self-induced hysteria, I guess, after enough exhaustion of repetitive praying at the altar with the older folks in the church holding you up and yelling over you. Finally you start babbling and they pronounce you saved.
There are some interesting implications from the charismatic Pentecostal beliefs. Some have questioned how a woman could be in a position of power when the Bible says the woman should obey her husband as the man obeys god. BUT in the charismatic Pentecostal church, the connection between god and each individual is direct and personal. If god chooses a woman as the leader, who's going to argue with god? The charismatic churches have a long history of women ministers and leaders. The classic is Aimee Semple McPherson, who was Pentecostal. In my rural Texas area, the ministers of the Pentecostal church in our town, and in one of the adjoining towns, were women. My mother served as assistant pastor in our church. I know that it seems illogical to say that women must be subservient to the husband, then put them in the position of power over the men and women in the church, but charismatics are stronger on emotion than logic. The key is always that personal connection to god.
I don't want to engage in too much speculation of religion's impact on Gov. Palin, but I can see how she would be open to the idea of a woman leader, despite of, or even because of, her religion. If this was the path that "god chose for her", then she should be in politics.
This belief that god selects the leader leaves the Pentecostal churches wide open to charlatans, crooks, and just weak people who make mistakes. The stories of the minister ruining the church finances, letting his/her ego get in the way so he/she runs off good people, etc is very common in the Pentecostal churches. A Pentecostal minister, even if he/she has no qualifications for leadership other than being "anointed" by god is given great power in the church.
Again, this is just an aside, but, abuse of power by the Pentecostal ministers is very akin to abuse of power by a mayor or governor. The one chosen by god gets to call the shots.
Another interesting distinction of charismatics versus some fundamentalists is the openness to forgiving sins and believing that any one can be saved. Pentecostal churches will accept that someone just released from prison for a heinous crime can walk through the doors, receive the Holy Ghost, and suddenly be a model citizen. The transformation story is a staple in the "altar call" at the end of the sermon to call the unsaved down to pray for the Holy Ghost. I'm not sure that all fundamentalists are quite so willing to forgive and forget. So, in that way, the Pentecostals are not as harsh as some of the fundamentalists. Their revival tent really is a "big tent"!
There certainly are the fundamentalist aspects to the Pentecostal church, as I said. When I was growing up, Pentecostals were so fundamentalist that women were forbidden to cut their hair (still are, I believe) or wear make-up. Dancing was strictly forbidden. Worldly diversions of television and secular music were forbidden (but most of my Pentecostal relatives allow them now). Assembly of God was never as strict on these points even in my days in the church. Alcohol and tobacco were strictly forbidden by both. Some old-timers in the Pentecostal church even thought caffeine was a drug, but that has passed. Pentecostal and Assembly of God still believe in literal creationism. They are pro-life, but certainly some, like most of the rest of the country, believe that abortion should be allowed in some circumstances. They are no longer against birth control as they were when my parents married. Most probably still see homosexuality as a sin. But, the Pentecostals really do love the sinner if he/she comes in and gets the Holy Ghost.
Given that Palin played basketball - I assume in shorts! - and entered beauty contests, I doubt that her family was very strict Pentecostal on the nit-picking points. (I know that my basketball career was cut short and I was shut out of the school dances.) However, to call her church Pentecostal, it had to be based on that essential charismatic promise of Acts 2:38.
NOTE - In its original form, this diary incorrectly referred to Church of God when I should have said Assembly of God. My error. I knew better and have corrected it. Thanks to those of you who pointed out my carelessness.