The Vanguard of God : Pentecostals and charismatics in the religious right.

This thesis explores the ways in which Pentecostals and charismatics have engaged in politics in the past 120 years, and shows that rather than shared theology, a commitment to right-wing politics has proven to be the main driver of ecumenical rapprochement between white, conservative Protestants in the United States. Chapters include discussions of: early white Pentecostals involvement in and support for the Second Ku Klux Klan (1915-1945); the vanguardist ideology of the Latter Rain Movement (1948-1970) and its effect on the charismatic movement; the shepherding movement’s (1975-1990) attempts to organize the charismatic movement as it developed deep ties with Christian Reconstructionists, using right-wing political connections to salve conflict within the charismatic movement; the New Apostolic Reformation’s (1990-present) development, addressing the overt dominionist turn the movement took beginning in 2008, concluding with the 2016 election of the movement’s anointed candidate, Donald Trump.