What to make of Palin’s Pentecostalism?
All you have to do is drive up Big Bend Blvd. Something big’s happening at Wash U Thursday night.
And aside from her two exclusive interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric, this will be the nation’s first real chance to see Governor Sarah Palin in an extended discussion of substantive issues.
It’s doubtful Gov. Palin and Sen. Biden will get into religion much. But we have gotten a glimpse into Gov. Palin’s Pentecostal faith.
Last week the Associated Press reported on the episode where a Kenyan pastor “prayed for her protection from ‘witchcraft.’” The video is on her former home congregation’s Web site.
And much has been made of the YouTube video of her at the same congregation, Wasilla Assembly of God Church. Recently, The New Yorker even weighed in.
Yet, for all the sound and fury, we still don’t know a whole lot. But I have found one of the YouTube soundbites to be very telling:
“I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built—so pray for that.”
What’s nagging me about Palin’s proclamation isn’t so much that she’s invoking God’s will for a political decision that, at least in a democratic society, should be decided by the will of the people.
What bothers me is that she seems to already know what God’s will is. Nevermind the fact that, just perhaps, God’s will regarding the drilling of oil in ANWAR may actually be God’s wrath over the degradation of his good creation.
But that’s always the dilemma with a Pentecostal view of revelation: if there’s 100 people in the room, you can get 100 different opinions of what God’s will actually is. And there’s no authority (Scripture? Tradition? The bishop of Rome? Pentecostal charisma trumps all three) to arbitrate which will of God is actually God’s.
Granted, I have no problem with a Pentecostal Christian running for high office; that’s the beauty of American democracy. I’m comfortable with it as long as she can practice democratic leadership with an acceptable view of the separation of church and state. (And notice that I wrote “an” and not “the.” There’s more than one way to skin the separation cat.)
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen what voters will (or can) make of Palin’s Pentecostalism. YouTube videos notwithstanding, I don’t even really know what she makes of it herself. Her own campaign seems to want to keep her under wraps as much as possible. (Who needs a sexist media when your campaign does it for you?)
In this historic election, though, I do find it incredibly interesting that we have four candidates who come from four distinct strands of American Christianity. That fact is historic in and of itself.
Travis Scholl, 35, is managing editor of theological publications at Concordia Seminary. A graduate of Yale Divinity School (MDiv), he is an ordained Lutheran minister. Despite some time away, he and his wife are native St. Louisans, as is the child they are now raising. 
First off, I love it when people who don’t know any better (the New Yorker, for example) equates Pentecostalism with Fundamentalism. There is some overlap, true, but they are far from the same thing. Did you know there are Pentecostal Presbyterians? (THAT sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it)
I’m with Travis, however. It’s really risky when particular political or secular goals get wrapped up in “God’s Will” talk. The worst part is when things don’t happen, or they don’t turn out well, all the up front talk about how this thing was God’s Will just disappears from the radar. No one ever seems to struggle with the idea that whatever it was might NOT have been God’s Will.
To me, there are two tests:
#1: Will whatever it is further the Kingdom of God? And, I note, that God’s Kingdom is NOT of this world.
#2: Does whatever it is clearly align with the whole Biblical Witness? If I’m proof-texting to prove my point, then I’m in trouble. If it’s an issue on which scripture is mostly silent (gas pipelines?), then I have to consider the rest of the story, as Travis points out. Questions like stewardship of the Earth, who is really benefiting, etc.
If anyone wants to know what God’s will is they should read it for themselves. It’s in the Bible.
In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Of those whom my Father has given me I shall lose none but raise them up on the last day.
There are two quick ones easily searched out with a concordance.
None of them have anything to do with this world or politics!
The will of God is for us to be thankful that the Son of God will give us everlasting life!
The entire word from Genesis to Revelation bears witness unto Christ being the King, Husband, Head, Ruler and one to have authority and dominion over his bride, wife or betrothed.
The Lord said his kingdom is not of this world!
It is not democratic, republican, or having any authority given unto his betrothed. It is just what he said it is. A kingdom!
hs,
It is so comforting to hear both, you and frank speak of the spiritual truths that we Christians learn as disclosed in scripture. It is so sad seeing one’s such as Palin and others so into following ways and teachings that are not of God.
Travis Scholl,
I always enjoy your posts and, I wish you could or would post more often.
Pentecostals always seem to forget these two verses-
Corinthians 14: 27-28
If anyone speaks in a tongue, let it be two or at most three, and each in turn, and one should interpret.
But if there is no interpreter, the person should keep silent in the church and speak to himself and to God.
Taking the narrow view of Sarah Palin’s faith from the evidence above. Which is most important, in the sentence “I think God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built—so pray for that.”? Is it the event or the endeavor, pipeline or prayer, gas or glory?
Clue: Governor Palin, in the video, said Alaska’s most important resource is its people.
Taking the broader view, it is evident she is following Jesus. She prays, reads scripture and sacrifices. A person like Jesus values love more than the cross. Tune into the debate tonight to see if Sarah gets crucified.
davel,
What is this you are saying about love? Did you not understand that the cross is the greatest representation of love possible?
D Walker, I think davel was using that just so he could work in the “crucified” comment. He is a talented comedian…
But D is right, the cross is the greatest symbol of God’s love.
Travis, one of your comments really struck a chord with me. You wrote “What bothers me is that she seems to already know what God’s will is”. There are a lot of people who think or say they know, including most if not all of the posters in this blog at one time or another. How anyone can think that they know the will of a superior being is beyond me. The Bible has been translated multiple times by who knows how many people, and originally written by people who have their own tendencies and habits. There are even a dozen versions of the Bible, with different books and passages included or omitted. Yet people claim to know…
I think it is more realistic to say that we are working to understand the will of God.
Tim,
Your assertation on Biblical misinterpretation is just not true. Look it up, there is much out there by theologians and Christian apologists on Biblical reliability. The various “strains” that you can trace to the different original texts show an incredible level of agreement in concept, content, context, and overall message. There is nothing that would change doctrine or our understanding of God and His will.
I generally do think that the idea of hearing God speak His will directly to you on everyday specific issues is a fallicy that pentacostals and the more charismatic fall into. It’s a debatable subject within the church, so I wouldn’t make an overly large deal about it.
What’s more important to me is that she appears to be kind of using the supposed will of God for political gain. That bothers me more. I don’t know what her intentions were, but I think it’s generally better when we’re talking about scripurally silent issues to pray “His will be done.”
D. Walker,
I do not agree with you that “the cross is the greatest representation of love possible”. I think Jesus’ unwavering passion for truth - otherwise known as the “Holy Spirit” - is the “greatest representation of love possible”. I think a live spirit is far more important than a symbol.
Jesus knew the Spirit of Truth would lead to his death. In spite of this knowledge, he stayed true to God, himself and us. If such passion is not love, what is? It is his love that saves us, not the cross.
I’m with walker on this one (don’t let it go to your head d.)
What was done on the cross is the greatest representation of love possible. I’m not sure what dave’s concept of the Holy Spirit is…do you accept the standard Trinitarian view, or do you see the Holy Spirit as an exostential concept - I see hints of both in your post.
Now, I don’t know what all of this has to do with our friend Sarah…but clearly Obama is inhabited by one of d.walkers demons…maybe there’s a demon of liberalism that we can cast out of him…and d.