Serpent-Handling Believers.

Abstract

In some remote churches in East Tennessee nearby states, Jesus' words in the sixteenth chapter of Saint Mark are taken literally: and they shall take up serpents; if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. Members of these churches describe themselves as Pentecostal-Holiness, autonomous groups of Christians with strong traditional religious views a fundamentalist approach to biblical interpretation. Their strong faith is based largely on personal experience. Handling serpents fire, laying on the hands of healing, speaking in tongues, drinking poison are seen as acts of Christian obedience that demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit. In the past these very religious people have often been distorted by the media as members of a snake religion or a snake cult because of their unorthodox beliefs practices. Thomas Burton seeks to present a more balanced view of this generally misunderstood group in this in-depth study of serpent handlers their religious culture. Using both oral history scholarly research, Burton traces the evolution of Christian serpent handling from its apparent beginning in East Tennessee explores legal ethical issues associated with this other unorthodox practices, allowing participants to speak for themselves through personal interviews. The result is both a dramatic presentation, through vivid photography, a thorough analytical insight into the serpent handlers' culture.

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