Snake Handlers and the Law
Information about laws applicable to religious snake handling in several Appalachian jurisdictions.
Religious Movements: Snake Handlers
Discussion of the beliefs and history of serpent handling religion in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, as well as legal and other issues associated with the practice.
Augusta Chronicle: Taking Up Serpents
Article about an incident in which a pastor was bitten and hospitalized also includes an overview of the Holiness snake-handling movement.
Snake Handling
Skeptics' analysis of the practice of snake handling, including the scriptural basis and an explanation of why participants are seldom bitten.
Snake Handling in the Pentecostal Church: The Precedent Set by George Hensley
Student paper on the origins of snake handling religious traditions.
Snake Handling
Brief history of the practice and its theological basis, by Dr. R. Alan Streett.
Snake Handlers
Discussion of the religious beliefs and worship practices of groups that practice serpent handling, including the history of these traditions.
Taking Up Serpents: A History of Snake Handling
Publisher's synopsis of a scholarly book about the practice, by David Kimbrough.
If God Was a Rattlesnake, Would You Pick it Up?
Review of the book 'Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia' and general discussion of the practice.
Sound Portraits: John Brown, Jr., Serpent Handler
Radio documentary recording the words of a preacher who later died from a snake bite. Includes audio file and transcript.
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