Palins's refusal to define her denominational background has resulted in much speculation about her religious beliefs and their impact on her worldview.  An enormous amount of misinformation has resulted, since many of the writers lack the benefit of knowledge of these diverse theologies. Writers who are  knowledgeable about the Third Wave movement have posted similar information on this site. However, this post is intended for use as a history and theology reference for the material in Part Two.

Part Two is documentation of the extensive links between these churches and major leaders of the Third Wave.

The following is a brief primer on the history of Pentecostalism and the Assemblies of God (AoG), the largest Pentecostal denomination worldwide.  This overview includes the development of a movement known as the Third Wave or New Apostolic Reformation, which has taken root not only in AoG and other Pentecostal denominations but across the Evangelical spectrum.

The Third Wave is one of the largest movements in Dominionism, a group of theologies that promote taking "dominion" over the social and governmental functions of the U.S. and the world. This material has previously been covered in much greater detail by writers on this site, but my purpose is to create a single summary that can be used as a foundation for those writing or blogging about this movement, but are unfamiliar with its history and theology.  The Evangelical world is not monolithic, and many well intentioned writers and activists may do more harm than good in the coverage of Palin's churches.  I plead with you to read this historical explanation before jumping to my next posting on Palin's churches.

Pentecostalism and Fundamentalism

Pentecostalism emerged almost exactly a hundred years ago.  Its beginnings were simultaneous with the organization of the Fundamentalist movement, but distinct in many beliefs and practices. Fundamentalists emerged as an anti-modernist group drawn from many mainline Protestant denominations.  The name Fundamentalism actually comes from a series of publications titled "The Fundamentals" sent to churches across the country, outlining the group's support of literal interpretation of the Bible. They organized in support of their shared beliefs and against the prevalence of the Social Gospel and perceived movement away from orthodox belief in the Fundamentalist/Modernist controversy. (This is the theological meaning of the word Fundamentalism despite its current use as a synonym for extremism.  I have capitalized theological terms in this post so they will not be confused with generic counterparts.)

Pentecostalism was preceded by the Holiness movement of the 1800s.  A series of revival meeting which featured the "outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit" are considered the beginnings of the movement. It was believed that the emergence of these signs indicated a renewal of the supernatural gifts at the biblical Pentecost. The early Pentecostals believed that the bestowal of these gifts, such as speaking in tongues, were mission tools that would allow them to save the world for Christ before the end times.  As it grew, the movement splintered into various cooperative fellowships, including Assemblies of God, Church of God in Christ, Church of God (Cleveland), and International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. Eventually the movement would result in literally thousands of denominations worldwide. Today the combined number of Pentecostals and related movements is estimated at 500 million people.

While sharing many beliefs, the Fundamentalists shunned Pentecostals.  Fundamentalists generally believed that supernatural manifestations had ended with the New Testament Christians (cessationism) and objected to the ecstatic form of Pentecostal worship. Furthermore, Pentecostalism began as a racially integrated movement and included women in positions of leadership.  Fundamentalists also differed in their end time theology (eschatology), since they had widely embraced Dispensationalism, the belief that the world is growing increasingly evil, and the church increasingly apostate, while the world is hurtling toward a cataclysmic end. True believers will be spared the horrors of the end time when they are secretly Raptured from the earth. Following the Rapture, those remaining will suffer through the horrors of the Tribulation, reign of the Antichrist, and the wars of Apocalypse until the return of Jesus. A detailed explanation of this doomsday timeline and the corresponding theology was developed in the mid 1800s by John Nelson Darby, and widely distributed through the use of the Scofield Bible.  A distorted version was later popularized in the fiction of Hal Lindsay, and more recently, Tim LaHaye's Left Behind Series.

The Scopes evolution trial of 1925 marked a significant downturn in the status of the Fundamentalist movement in America.  William Bell Riley and colleagues, who had recently formed the World Christian Fundamentals Association, hired William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution. The newly formed ACLU hired Clarence Darrow for the defense. Despite the fact that the Fundamentalists actually won their case, the ridicule they received from the public was credited with sending the movement on a culturally separatist path for decades. During the time of separation that followed, Dispensational belief spread rapidly through much of Pentecostalism, marginalizing its restoration impulses.  Interesting hybrid theologies emerged as Pentecostals tried to fit their revivalist message into a Fundamentalist doomsday mold.

Evangelicalism

After World War II, several young Fundamentalists including Billy Graham, whom William Bell Riley personally chose as his successor to lead his bible college, decided to bring Fundamentalism back into mainstream society.  This group of young Fundamentalists headed a movement to discard Fundamentalism's separatist nature and reintroduce their beliefs to a wider audience.  The new neo-Evangelical movement, as it was known, used television to directly market their message to large audiences.  Their remarkable successes resulted in the creation of an Evangelical umbrella that brought together a vast array of Fundamentalists from a variety of denominations and Pentecostals.  The National Association of Evangelicals, the National Religious Broadcasters, and hundreds of cross-denominational entities were formed.  A number of Pentecostal denominations joined the NEA, including the Assemblies of God.

Latter Rain

As Pentecostal denominations were developing institutionally and joining forces with the larger Evangelical body, a new revival was brewing.  It was grounded in the ideas of Latter Rain, a theology that had, from the beginnings of Pentecostalism, been used to juxtapose their belief in their end time supernatural gifts with the imminent doomsday scenario of Dispensationalism.  The New Order of the Latter Rain was led by faith healer William Branham. George Warnock wrote Feast of Tabernacles in 1951, considered to be the classic text of the movement.

These theologies greatly altered the doomsday narrative of Dispensationalism.  Dispensationalists were consumed with the role `ethnic Jews' must play in the apocalyptic drama by returning to Israel and rebuilding the Temple.  Warnock's Feast of Tabernacles redefined the Jewish feast days in Christian terms with each representing a fulfillment of the coming Kingdom of Jesus.  The Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds with the Jewish celebration of Sukkot, is not yet fulfilled.  Its fulfillment signifies the manifestation of the Sons of God or Overcomers who would take dominion over the earth.  There would be no more waiting passively for the Rapture.  A non-denominational and global church not divided by doctrine would be restored through the Fivefold Ministry and recapture the earth from evil, therefore allowing the return of Jesus.  The most extreme form of this theology included the idea that these Manifest Sons of Gods would achieve perfection