Book about snake handling church

While this is a story of kimbroughs experiences with the saylor family of eastern kentucky, kimbrough explains the origins of serpent handling as they emerged in the teachings of george hensley of. Serpenthandling in north alabama and north georgia originated with james miller in sand mountain, alabama, at about the same time. Snake handling as a religious rite in the united states, also called serpent handling, is observed in a small number of isolated churches, mostly in the united states, usually characterized as rural and part of the holiness movement. The storyline follows the author as he goes from covering the trial of glenn summerford to experiencing a snake handling church in appalachia. For more cnn videos, check out our youtube channel at. The book, he said, fits the publishers mandate to publish. Dennis covingtons book reminds us that the south is as complicated as. Snake handling service held in lejunior, harlan county, kentucky at the pentecostal church of god, september 15, 1946. Salvation on sand mountain is a 1995 nonfiction book by dennis covington. A glimpse into the snake handling churches of appalachia. In the house of the serpent handler reading religion.

A look at the snakehandling churches of appalachia youtube. The practice began in the early 20th century in appalachia and plays only a small part in the church service. Cody coots is a fourth generation snake handling pastor, and before he died, his father was featured on snake salvation, a. Did this piece in the early 90s i think, at the annual homecoming at the church in jolo, west virginia. Most of the members are coal miners and their families.

Members tend to be older and born into the church, rather than converts. Snake handling or serpent handling, as it is called, is a religious ritual followed in a small number of pentecostal churches in the u. But duins book focuses on a new breed of snake handling preachers young and adept at using social media to attract. A history of snake handling kimbrough explains the history and practice of serpent handling believers from the perspective of a respectful and scholarly participantobserver. Thomas wells, acquisitions editor at university of tennessee press, said duins book is the fourth snakehandling title for the house. A journalist by trade, he is sent to cover the trial of a preacher accused of killing his wife with rattlesnakes. Unlike many of the other snake handlers profiled in duins book, hamblin comes from a nonhandling family and church.

Snakehandling churches have dotted appalachia for a hundred years and are generally secretive. Participants are holiness, pentecostals, charismatics, or other evangelicals. They genuinely believe that if they believe in jesus hard enough snake venom will not affect them. Churches that practice snake handling have special services in which people actually handle venomous snakes, supposedly giving evidence that the church members are true believers who are empowered and protected by god.

The book, he said, fits the publishers mandate to publish books about religious history and about the american south where snake handling churches date to the early 1900s. Summerford, a preacher at a prominent snakehandling church, had. Snake handling and redemption in southern appalachia 9780306818363. Upon the alter of the church, many practice the art for years before finally being bitten that. This was a very shocking book that took an intimate look into the lives of snake handlers on sand mountain in appalachia.

Convingtons book is an affective memoir about his experiences with snake handling churches in the appalachians. Snakes in a church may be scary to some peoplethough sacred to othersbut they dont frighten some publishers. Covington examines a church of snake handlers in alabama, but delves deeply into the. A haunting exploration of faith, from a preacher convicted of attempted murder to a firsthand account of holiness serpent handlingone of the best books on. May 30, 2012 a serpent handling west virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake. But duins book focuses on a new breed of snakehandling preachers young and adept at using social media to attract. Miller apparently developed his belief independently of any knowledge of hensleys ministry. This little book is nothing short of a masterpiece. In the 1920s, the church of god repudiated the practice of snakehandling, and hensley and his followers formed a separate trinitarian body.