Them That Believe: The Power and Meaning of the Christian Serpent-Handling Tradition

By Ralph W. Hood Jr. and W. Paul Williamson

Book Overview

Although outlawed in many states, serpent handling remains an active religious practice-and one that is far more stereotyped than understood. Ralph W. Hood, Jr. and W. Paul Williamson have spent fifteen years touring serpent-handling churches in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia, conducting scores of interviews with serpent handlers, and witnessing hundreds of serpent-handling services. In this illuminating book they present the most in-depth, comprehensive study of serpent handling to date. Them That Believe not only explores facets of this religious practice-including handling, preaching, and the near-death experiences of individuals who were bitten but survived-but also provides a rich analysis of this phenomenon from historical, social, religious, and psychological perspectives.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520255879
• ISBN13: 9780520255876
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"