Serpent-Handling Believers - signed

Burton, Thomas

ISBN 10: 087049788X / ISBN 13: 9780870497889

Published by University of Tennessee, 1993

About this Item

Signed, dedicated and dated on the title page by the author. Paperback neatly covered in sticky-backed plastic, but not ex-library - from a personal collection, with owner's name inscribed; no other inscriptions or annotations. Spine not creased or cracked, appears unread. Language: eng Language: eng.

Seller Inventory # ABE-1473365831490

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Serpent-Handling Believers - signed
• Publisher: University of Tennessee
• Publication Date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 087049788X
• ISBN 13: 9780870497889
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Religion
  • Signed

About this title

Synopsis

In some remote churches in East Tennessee and nearby states, Jesus’ words in the sixteenth chapter of Saint Mark are taken literally: “and they shall take up serpents; and 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 and a fundamentalist approach to biblical interpretation. Their strong faith is based largely on personal experience. Handling serpents and fire, laying on the hands of healing, speaking in tongues, and 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 and practices. Thomas Burton seeks to present a more balanced view of this generally misunderstood group in this in-depth study of serpent handlers and their religious culture. Using both oral history and scholarly research, Burton traces the evolution of Christian serpent handling from its apparent beginning in East Tennessee and explores legal and ethical issues associated with this and other unorthodox practices, allowing participants to speak for themselves through personal interviews. The result is both a dramatic presentation, through vivid photography, and a thorough analytical insight into the serpent handlers’ culture.

About the Author

The Author: Thomas Burton has produced three documentaries on serpent handling and is a retired professor of English at East Tennessee State University.