Sarah Palin's Religion

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal narrative has energized the Evangelical/Religious Right base of the party. Baptized Roman Catholic and raised Assemblies of God, she now occasionally attends Juneau Christian Center—a church with Pentecostal origins, but which goes by a non-denominational label. She and her family have affiliated with a hometown nondenominational Bible church, the Wassila Bible Church.

Her surprise selection by John McCain seems to be, by consensus, a bow toward born again Christians, who make up some 40% of the population. Pentecostals and Charismatics make up almost half of all born again Christians.

Knowledgeable commentators have judged the churches in which she has been recently active as “post-denominational." Post-denominational Christianity blends Evangelical and Pentecostal (Charismatic) ways of faith and worship in independent congregations, which are without denominational ties.

In my estimation Ms. Palin’s candidacy brings religion once again to the forefront of this election. We will learn more about her beliefs, as those beliefs potentially affect public policy. From the outset, regarding sexual education, it’s clear she echoes the Republican National Convention’s platform plank of “abstinence only” with a hostility toward “family planning.”

The culture wars continue and issues such as sexual education, abortion, gay marriage will divert attention from more substantive issues of national defense/international relations and the economy.

That’s too bad, but that’s why the Republican hierarchy settled upon her.

Her candidacy returns religion to the forefront of this year's presidential campaign.