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Snake handling in Christianity

April 08, 2024

Snake handling, also called serpent handling, is a religious rite observed in a small number of isolated churches, mostly in the United States, usually characterized as rural and part of the Holiness movement. The practice began in the early 20th century in Appalachia and plays only a small part in the church service. Participants are Holiness, or Pentecostals. The beliefs and practices of the movement have been documented in several films and have been the impetus for a number of state laws related to the handling of venomous animals.

Snake handling at the Church of God with Signs Following at Lejunior in Harlan County, Kentucky, 15 September 1946 (NARA). Photo by Russell Lee.

History edit

Gnosticism edit

In the 2nd century the Ophites reportedly handled snakes during their services,[1] and also worshipped the serpent.[2]

In American Christianity edit

The practice of snake handling first appeared in American Christianity around 1910[3] and was associated with the ministry of George Went Hensley of Grasshopper Valley in southeastern Tennessee. Hensley's role in initiating the practice has been disputed by academic studies.[4] Kimbrough notes that claims of Hensley being the originator of snake handling are usually found to be unsubstantiated by research, and the origins of the observance are unclear.[4] Hood and Williamson similarly argue that the beginnings of Pentecostal snake-handling rituals cannot be ascribed to a single person,[5] and that the observance arose independently on multiple occasions.[6]

However, historians agree that Hensley's advocacy, leadership, and particularly his personal charisma, were important factors in advancing the Pentecostal snake handling[7] and spreading it throughout the southeast United States.[6] Coverage of Hensley's ministry was influential in prompting various churches to include the practice in their services.[8] The media has focused on popular snake handlers such as Hensley, and the deaths of ministers due to snakebite have received particular attention.[9]

The Church of God with Signs Following edit

Hensley was a minister of the Church of God, now known as the Church of God (Cleveland), founded by Richard Spurling and A. J. Tomlinson. In 1922, Hensley resigned from the Church of God,[10] citing "trouble in the home";[11] his resignation marked the zenith of the practice of snake handling in the denomination, with the Church of God disavowing the practice of snake handling during the 1920s.[12][a]

In the 1930s, he traveled the Southeast resuming his ministry and promoting the practice.[13][14] If believers truly had the Holy Spirit within them, Hensley argued, they should be able to handle rattlesnakes and any number of other venomous serpents. They should also be able to drink poison and suffer no harm whatsoever. Snake handling as a test or demonstration of faith became popular wherever Hensley traveled and preached in the small towns of Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. Sister-churches later sprang up throughout the Appalachian region.[15] In 1943, Hensley and Ramond Hayes, a young adherent of Hensley's teachings, started a church together in 1945, which they named the "Dolly Pond Church of God with Signs Following".[16] Snake-handling churches influenced by Hensley's ministry are broadly known as the Church of God with Signs Following. In July 1955, Hensley died following a snakebite received during a service he was conducting in Altha, Florida.

The Church of Lord Jesus with Signs Following edit

Serpent-handling in north Alabama and north Georgia originated with James Miller in Sand Mountain, Alabama, at about the same time. Miller apparently developed his belief independently of any knowledge of Hensley's ministry. Whereas Hensley's ministry was trinitarian, the snake-handling churches influenced by Miller's ministry are non-trinitarian, and are broadly known as the Church of Lord Jesus with Signs Following[citation needed]. This version dominates snake-handling churches north of the Appalachians.[17][18]

Prevalence edit

Each church body is independent and autonomous, and the denominational name is not consistent in all areas. However they are typically some variation of the name "Church of God" (Trinitarian) or "Church of (Lord) Jesus" (Oneness).

The exact membership is unknown, and has recently been estimated as low as 1,000 and as high as 5,000 with possibly fifty to a hundred congregations. According to the Encyclopedia of American Religions, churches "can be found from central Florida to West Virginia and as far west as Columbus, Ohio." The snake-handling sect of beliefs and practices go as far as to cross the border into Western Canada in 2004 to Lethbridge and Edmonton, Alberta.[citation needed]

Most religious snake handlers are still found in the Appalachian Mountains and other parts of the southeastern United States, especially in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. In 2001, about 40 small churches practiced snake handling, most of them considered to be Holiness, Pentecostals, or Charismatics. In 2004, there were four snake-handling congregations in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.[19]

Ralph Hood, professor of social psychology and the psychology of religion at the University of Tennessee, who has studied the snake handling movement, indicated in 2003 that the practice is "currently at a fairly low ebb of popularity".[20] A 2013 article by National Public Radio gave a figure of "about 125" churches where snakes are handled, but also indicated that "snake handlers are notoriously private".[21]

Common doctrines edit

Biblical foundation and "signs following" edit

Practitioners believe serpent handling dates to antiquity and quote the Gospel of Mark (chapter 16) and the Gospel of Luke to support the practice:

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

— Luke 10:19

Churches that practice snake handling and drinking poison as a demonstration of the strength of their faith during worship services frequently describe themselves with the phrase "with sign following"; this is based on a literal interpretation of the following biblical passage which they cite for biblical validation:

And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

— Mark 16:17–18

These passages are part of the longer ending of Mark which many biblical scholars regard as a later addition to the manuscript tradition and it is noted as such in many modern translations of the Bible, such as the New International Version.[22] However, the longer ending is part of the received text and the canonical status of these passages is rarely disputed.

Another passage from the New Testament used to support snake handlers' beliefs is Acts 28:1–6, which relates that Paul was bitten by a venomous viper and suffered no harm:

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Only snake-handling churches interpret these passages as a call to handle serpents, while others dispute these interpretations.[23][better source needed]

Practices edit

As in the early days, worshipers are still encouraged to lay hands on the sick, speak in tongues, provide testimony of miracles, and occasionally consume poisons such as strychnine.[24] Worship services usually include singing, praying, speaking in tongues, and preaching. The front of the church, behind the pulpit, is the designated area for handling snakes. Rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads (venomous snakes native to North America) are the most common, but even cobras have been used. During the service, believers may approach the front and pick up the snakes, usually raising them into the air and sometimes allowing the snakes to slither on their bodies. Handling the snakes is not compulsory for those attending services. Some believers will also engage in drinking poison (most commonly strychnine) at this time.

Although individual incidents may actually be understood in a variety of ways, those who die from snakebites are never criticized for lack of adequate faith; it is believed that it was simply the deceased's time to die.[25] Bitten believers usually do not seek medical help, but look to God for their healing.[citation needed] They fully believe that adherents need to handle the snakes as a demonstration of their having the Holy Spirit within. Darlene Summerford, when asked how it felt to handle venomous serpents, replied, "It's just knowing you got power over them snakes".[24]: 43  And, if they get bitten by the snake, then they lack the true Spirit.[24]: 3  Moreover, if they are bitten, then the congregation prays over them.[24] If they die, then God intended for that to happen.[25][24]

Legal issues edit

Legality edit

All Appalachian states except West Virginia outlawed the snake-handling ritual when it first emerged. The states of Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee have passed laws against the use of venomous snakes or other reptiles that endangers the lives of others without a permit.

The Kentucky law specifically mentions religious services; in Kentucky snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a $50 to $100 fine.[26]

Snake handling is legal in the state of West Virginia, as the current state constitution does not allow any law to impede upon nor promote a religious practice.[27]

Snake handling was made a felony punishable by death under Georgia law in 1941, following the death of a seven-year-old from a rattlesnake bite. However, the punishment was so severe that juries would refuse to convict, and the law was repealed in 1968.[28]

The American Civil Liberties Union has defended the religious freedom of snake handlers against various attempts to have the practice banned.[29]

Manslaughter and murder edit

In 1992, Glenn Summerford, a serpent-handling preacher, was convicted of attempted murder of his wife with a rattlesnake, by forcing her to be bitten on two occasions, at their home.[24]: 30, 33 [30][31] During the trial, some members of the congregation sided with Glenn Summerford, and others with his wife, Darlene.[24]: 48–49  Each Summerford accused the other of infidelity, and "backsliding" from their faith by drinking alcohol.[24]: 41, 49  Dennis Covington, a journalist who covered the Summerford trial [32] discusses his first-hand, investigative experiences at a snake-handling church in Appalachia, in his book, Salvation on Sand Mountain.[24]: 20 

Possession and transportation of venomous snakes edit

In July 2008, ten people were arrested and 125 venomous snakes were confiscated as part of an undercover sting operation titled "Twice Shy". Pastor Gregory James Coots of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus' Name (FGTJN) in Middlesboro, Kentucky, was arrested and 74 snakes seized from his home as part of the sting.[33]

Jamie Coots (son of Gregory Coots) was cited in 2013 for illegal possession and transportation of venomous snakes when three rattlesnakes and two copperheads were discovered in his vehicle during a vehicle check in Knoxville, Tennessee.[34] Later in 2013, Coots published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal making an argument for U.S. Constitutional protection regarding religious freedom, especially freedom to practice the unique variety of religion found in snake-handling churches.[35] Coots died on 15 February 2014 from a snakebite.[36]

Andrew Hamblin, who appeared alongside Jamie Coots in Snake Salvation, was cited for having dangerous wildlife in 2014, but a grand jury declined to indict him.[37]

Risks edit

The handling of venomous snakes has significant risks. Ralph Hood observes, "If you go to any serpent-handling church, you'll see people with atrophied hands, and missing fingers. All the serpent-handling families have suffered such things".[20] Jamie Coots, a pastor who subsequently died from a snakebite, said, "Handlers get bitten all the time, and every few years someone dies".[38]

Various figures for the total number of deaths from snakebite during religious services have been proposed:

  • "over 100 documented deaths" (2003) by Ralph Hood.[20]
  • "around 120" (2005) by Robert Winston.[39]
  • "about 100 deaths" (2013) by Julia Duin, a journalist who has covered snake handling churches and is writing a book on the subject.[40]
  • "91 documented snake bite deaths" (2015) by Paul Williamson, professor of psychology at Henderson State University and co-author of books with Ralph Hood.[41]

Another source indicates that 35 people died between 1936 and 1973.[23]

Hood also notes that the practice does not present a danger to observers. There is no documented case of a non-handling member being bitten by a serpent handled by another believer.[42]

Media coverage edit

 
Snake handling in the Holy Ghost People documentary

A number of films and television programs have been made about religious snake handling.

  • Holy Ghost People is a 1967 documentary by Peter Adair. It is about the service of a snake handling Pentecostal community in Scrabble Creek, West Virginia, United States. This documentary has entered the public domain and is available at the Internet Archive.
  • Heaven Come Down is a 2006 television documentary film about some unusual worship practices of some Pentecostal Christians in Appalachia, including snake handling.
  • Snake Salvation is a 2013 series produced by the National Geographic Channel, comprising 16 episodes in a reality television format.[43] The show featured two modern snake-handling pastors and their congregations. The show's focus was on Jamie Coots, who subsequently died of a snakebite. The other featured pastor was Andrew Hamblin, pastor of the Tabernacle Church of God in LaFollette, Tennessee. Hamblin, a protégé of Coots, was worshiping at his mentor's church alongside Coots when the fatal snake bite occurred in February 2014.[44]
  • Them That Follow is a Sundance Film Nominee about a small Church and community that practices this religion. The film stars Walton Goggins.
  • Alabama Snake is a 2020 HBO documentary which focuses on the 1991 attempted murder of Darlene Summerford by her husband, snake handling pastor Glenn Summerford.[45]

Known snake-handling churches edit

Alabama

  • Old Rock House Holiness Church, Section (sometimes "Old" is omitted or "Rock House" written as a single word)[30][46][23]

Georgia

Indiana

Kentucky

North Carolina

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

West Virginia

Notable deaths edit

Main article: List of fatal snake bites in the United States

In popular culture edit

  • In the 1992 film Guncrazy, Billy Drago plays a small-town preacher who utilizes live snakes in his sermons.
  • In 2013, during the fourth season of FX's Justified, actor Joseph Mazzello played Preacher Billy,[92] a fearless snake handler, who hosted tent revivals in Harlan County, Kentucky.[92]
  • Gospel singer Wendy Bagwell's song "Here Come the Rattlesnakes" describes his Gospel band, Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters, performing in a small, remote Kentucky church that practiced rattlesnake handling.[93][94]
  • In the third episode of the fourth season of The Simpsons, "Homer the Heretic", Homer invites bartender Moe Szyslak to join his religion, to which Moe replies: "Sorry, Homer. I was born a snake handler, and I'll die a snake handler." whilst revealing hands covered in bites, bruises and adhesive bandages.[95]
  • In the ninth episode of the seventh season of The X Files, "Signs and Wonders ," Scully and Mulder investigate the death of a young man who used to be a member of a serpent-handling church.[96]
  • In the fifth episode of the third season of The Righteous Gemstones Peter Montgomery is shown using this practice in the church where he preaches.
  • In the podcast Alabama Astronauts, songwriter and artist Abe Partridge and Houston Chronicle podcast producer, Ferrill Gibbs, search for undocumented music found in the churches services of serpent handlers and chronicle the subculture's history in a series of episodic field-notes.

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Hill, Hood, and Williamson 2005, p. 117: In 1914, the Church of God had around 4,000 members. By 1922, it had grown to 23,000 members. Hill, Hood, and Williamson speculate that the Church of God disavowed snake handling in an attempt to draw more middle-class Christians to their denomination.

References edit

  1. ^ Joseph Campbell & M. J. Abadie (1981). The Mythic Image. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, p. 296.
  2. ^ Tuomas Rasimus (2007). "The Serpent in Gnostic and Related Texts". In Painchaud, Louis; Poirier, Paul-Hubert (eds.). L'Évangile selon Thomas et les textes de Nag Hammadi: Colloque International. Presses Université Laval, p. 804.
  3. ^ Encyclopedia of American Religions gives the year as 1909; the Encyclopedia of Religion in the South gives it as 1913.
  4. ^ a b Kimbrough (2002), p. 191.
  5. ^ Hood and Williamson (2008), p. 37.
  6. ^ a b Hood and Williamson (2008), p. 38.
  7. ^ Hill, Hood, and Williamson (2005), p. 118.
  8. ^ Hood and Williamson (2008), p. 41.
  9. ^ Hood and Williamson (2008), p. 39.
  10. ^ Hood and Williamson (2008), p. 47.
  11. ^ Burton (1993), p. 42.
  12. ^ Hill, Hood, and Williamson (2005), p. 220.
  13. ^ Anderson, Robert Mapes (1979). Vision of the Disinherited: The Making of American Pentecostalism. New York, New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 263. ISBN 978-0-19-502502-6.
  14. ^ Hood and Williamson (2008), pp. 14, 37, 38.
  15. ^ Kimbrough (2002).
  16. ^ Burton (1993), p. 52.
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  19. ^ Eason, Cassandra (1 January 2008). Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols: A Handbook. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780275994259 – via Google Books.
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Bibliography edit

Books

  • Bultmann, Rudolf (1963). The History of the Synoptic Tradition. Oxford, England: Blackwell.
  • Burton, Thomas G. (1993). Serpent-handling Believers. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 978-0-87049-788-9.
  • Duin, Julia C. (2017). In the House of the Serpent Handler: A Story of Faith and Fleeting Fame in the Age of Social Media. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 978-1-62190-375-8.
  • Hill, Peter C.; Hood, Ralph W.; Williamson, William Paul (2005). The Psychology of Religious Fundamentalism. New York, New York: Guilford Press. ISBN 978-1-59385-150-7.
  • Hood, Ralph W.; Williamson, William Paul (2008). Them That Believe: The Power and Meaning of the Christian Serpent-handling Tradition. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-25587-6.
  • Kimbrough, David L. (2002). Taking Up Serpents: Snake Handlers of Eastern Kentucky. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press. ISBN 978-0-86554-798-8.
  • Leonard, Bill J. (1999). "The Bible and Serpent Handling". In Williams, Peter W. (ed.). Perspectives on American Religion and Culture. Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-57718-118-7.
  • Dennis Covington: Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Salvation in Southern Appalachia: New York: Penguin: 1996.
  • Fred Brown and Jeanne MacDonald: The Serpent Handlers: Three Families and Their Faith: Winston-Salem: J.F.Blair: 2000.
  • Weston La Barre: They shall take up serpents: The psychology of the Southern Snake Handling Cult: University of Minnesota Press: 1962.
  • Jim Morrow and Ralph Hood: Handling Serpents: Pastor Jimmy Morrow's Narrative History of his Appalachian Jesus' Name Tradition: Macon: Mercer University Press: 2005.
  • Pond, Lauren. 2017. Test of Faith: Signs, Serpents, Salvation. Duke University Press.

Articles

  • Hood, Ralph W.; Williamson, William Paul (December 2004). "Differential Maintenance and Growth of Religious Organizations Based upon High-Cost Behaviors: Serpent Handling within the Church of God". Review of Religious Research. 46 (2): 150–68. doi:10.2307/3512230. JSTOR 3512230.
  • Stephen Kane: "Ritual Possession in a Southern Appalachian Religious Sect" The Journal of American Folklore: 27:348 (October–December 1974): 293–302.
  • Paul Williamson and Ralph Hood Jr: "Differential Maintenance and Growth of Religious Organisations Based on High-Cost Behaviours: Serpent Handling with the Church of God" Review of Religious Research: 46:2 (December 2004): 150–168.
  • Paul W. Williamson and Howard R. Pollo: "The Phenomenology of Religious Serpent Handling: A Rationale and Thematic Study of Extemporaneous Sermons" Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion: 38:2 (June 1999): 203–218.

External links edit

  • Washington Post photo gallery
  • Vice Magazine interview with Andrew Hamblin
  • Taking Up Serpents - by Andrea Perkins
  • Chattanooga Times Free Press article on snake handlers
  • MA thesis on Appalachian snake handling
  • Ralph W. Hood and W. Paul Williamson Holiness Churches of Appalachia Recordings and Interviews

April 08, 2024
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This article needs more complete citations for verification Please help add missing citation information so that sources are clearly identifiable September 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Snake handling also called serpent handling is a religious rite observed in a small number of isolated churches mostly in the United States usually characterized as rural and part of the Holiness movement The practice began in the early 20th century in Appalachia and plays only a small part in the church service Participants are Holiness or Pentecostals The beliefs and practices of the movement have been documented in several films and have been the impetus for a number of state laws related to the handling of venomous animals Snake handling at the Church of God with Signs Following at Lejunior in Harlan County Kentucky 15 September 1946 NARA Photo by Russell Lee Contents 1 History 1 1 Gnosticism 1 2 In American Christianity 1 3 The Church of God with Signs Following 1 4 The Church of Lord Jesus with Signs Following 2 Prevalence 3 Common doctrines 3 1 Biblical foundation and signs following 3 2 Practices 4 Legal issues 4 1 Legality 4 2 Manslaughter and murder 4 3 Possession and transportation of venomous snakes 5 Risks 6 Media coverage 7 Known snake handling churches 8 Notable deaths 9 In popular culture 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 Bibliography 14 External linksHistory editGnosticism edit In the 2nd century the Ophites reportedly handled snakes during their services 1 and also worshipped the serpent 2 In American Christianity edit The practice of snake handling first appeared in American Christianity around 1910 3 and was associated with the ministry of George Went Hensley of Grasshopper Valley in southeastern Tennessee Hensley s role in initiating the practice has been disputed by academic studies 4 Kimbrough notes that claims of Hensley being the originator of snake handling are usually found to be unsubstantiated by research and the origins of the observance are unclear 4 Hood and Williamson similarly argue that the beginnings of Pentecostal snake handling rituals cannot be ascribed to a single person 5 and that the observance arose independently on multiple occasions 6 However historians agree that Hensley s advocacy leadership and particularly his personal charisma were important factors in advancing the Pentecostal snake handling 7 and spreading it throughout the southeast United States 6 Coverage of Hensley s ministry was influential in prompting various churches to include the practice in their services 8 The media has focused on popular snake handlers such as Hensley and the deaths of ministers due to snakebite have received particular attention 9 The Church of God with Signs Following edit Hensley was a minister of the Church of God now known as the Church of God Cleveland founded by Richard Spurling and A J Tomlinson In 1922 Hensley resigned from the Church of God 10 citing trouble in the home 11 his resignation marked the zenith of the practice of snake handling in the denomination with the Church of God disavowing the practice of snake handling during the 1920s 12 a In the 1930s he traveled the Southeast resuming his ministry and promoting the practice 13 14 If believers truly had the Holy Spirit within them Hensley argued they should be able to handle rattlesnakes and any number of other venomous serpents They should also be able to drink poison and suffer no harm whatsoever Snake handling as a test or demonstration of faith became popular wherever Hensley traveled and preached in the small towns of Tennessee Kentucky the Carolinas Virginia Ohio and Indiana Sister churches later sprang up throughout the Appalachian region 15 In 1943 Hensley and Ramond Hayes a young adherent of Hensley s teachings started a church together in 1945 which they named the Dolly Pond Church of God with Signs Following 16 Snake handling churches influenced by Hensley s ministry are broadly known as the Church of God with Signs Following In July 1955 Hensley died following a snakebite received during a service he was conducting in Altha Florida The Church of Lord Jesus with Signs Following edit Serpent handling in north Alabama and north Georgia originated with James Miller in Sand Mountain Alabama at about the same time Miller apparently developed his belief independently of any knowledge of Hensley s ministry Whereas Hensley s ministry was trinitarian the snake handling churches influenced by Miller s ministry are non trinitarian and are broadly known as the Church of Lord Jesus with Signs Following citation needed This version dominates snake handling churches north of the Appalachians 17 18 Prevalence editEach church body is independent and autonomous and the denominational name is not consistent in all areas However they are typically some variation of the name Church of God Trinitarian or Church of Lord Jesus Oneness The exact membership is unknown and has recently been estimated as low as 1 000 and as high as 5 000 with possibly fifty to a hundred congregations According to the Encyclopedia of American Religions churches can be found from central Florida to West Virginia and as far west as Columbus Ohio The snake handling sect of beliefs and practices go as far as to cross the border into Western Canada in 2004 to Lethbridge and Edmonton Alberta citation needed Most religious snake handlers are still found in the Appalachian Mountains and other parts of the southeastern United States especially in Alabama Georgia Kentucky North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Virginia and West Virginia In 2001 about 40 small churches practiced snake handling most of them considered to be Holiness Pentecostals or Charismatics In 2004 there were four snake handling congregations in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia Canada 19 Ralph Hood professor of social psychology and the psychology of religion at the University of Tennessee who has studied the snake handling movement indicated in 2003 that the practice is currently at a fairly low ebb of popularity 20 A 2013 article by National Public Radio gave a figure of about 125 churches where snakes are handled but also indicated that snake handlers are notoriously private 21 Common doctrines editBiblical foundation and signs following edit Practitioners believe serpent handling dates to antiquity and quote the Gospel of Mark chapter 16 and the Gospel of Luke to support the practice Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you Luke 10 19 Churches that practice snake handling and drinking poison as a demonstration of the strength of their faith during worship services frequently describe themselves with the phrase with sign following this is based on a literal interpretation of the following biblical passage which they cite for biblical validation And these signs shall follow them that believe In my name shall they cast out devils they shall speak with new tongues They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover Mark 16 17 18 These passages are part of the longer ending of Mark which many biblical scholars regard as a later addition to the manuscript tradition and it is noted as such in many modern translations of the Bible such as the New International Version 22 However the longer ending is part of the received text and the canonical status of these passages is rarely disputed Another passage from the New Testament used to support snake handlers beliefs is Acts 28 1 6 which relates that Paul was bitten by a venomous viper and suffered no harm And when they were escaped then they knew that the island was called Melita And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness for they kindled a fire and received us every one because of the present rain and because of the cold And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire there came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand they said among themselves No doubt this man is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly but after they had looked a great while and saw no harm come to him they changed their minds and said that he was a god Only snake handling churches interpret these passages as a call to handle serpents while others dispute these interpretations 23 better source needed Practices edit As in the early days worshipers are still encouraged to lay hands on the sick speak in tongues provide testimony of miracles and occasionally consume poisons such as strychnine 24 Worship services usually include singing praying speaking in tongues and preaching The front of the church behind the pulpit is the designated area for handling snakes Rattlesnakes cottonmouths and copperheads venomous snakes native to North America are the most common but even cobras have been used During the service believers may approach the front and pick up the snakes usually raising them into the air and sometimes allowing the snakes to slither on their bodies Handling the snakes is not compulsory for those attending services Some believers will also engage in drinking poison most commonly strychnine at this time Although individual incidents may actually be understood in a variety of ways those who die from snakebites are never criticized for lack of adequate faith it is believed that it was simply the deceased s time to die 25 Bitten believers usually do not seek medical help but look to God for their healing citation needed They fully believe that adherents need to handle the snakes as a demonstration of their having the Holy Spirit within Darlene Summerford when asked how it felt to handle venomous serpents replied It s just knowing you got power over them snakes 24 43 And if they get bitten by the snake then they lack the true Spirit 24 3 Moreover if they are bitten then the congregation prays over them 24 If they die then God intended for that to happen 25 24 Legal issues editLegality edit All Appalachian states except West Virginia outlawed the snake handling ritual when it first emerged The states of Alabama Kentucky and Tennessee have passed laws against the use of venomous snakes or other reptiles that endangers the lives of others without a permit The Kentucky law specifically mentions religious services in Kentucky snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a 50 to 100 fine 26 Snake handling is legal in the state of West Virginia as the current state constitution does not allow any law to impede upon nor promote a religious practice 27 Snake handling was made a felony punishable by death under Georgia law in 1941 following the death of a seven year old from a rattlesnake bite However the punishment was so severe that juries would refuse to convict and the law was repealed in 1968 28 The American Civil Liberties Union has defended the religious freedom of snake handlers against various attempts to have the practice banned 29 Manslaughter and murder edit In 1992 Glenn Summerford a serpent handling preacher was convicted of attempted murder of his wife with a rattlesnake by forcing her to be bitten on two occasions at their home 24 30 33 30 31 During the trial some members of the congregation sided with Glenn Summerford and others with his wife Darlene 24 48 49 Each Summerford accused the other of infidelity and backsliding from their faith by drinking alcohol 24 41 49 Dennis Covington a journalist who covered the Summerford trial 32 discusses his first hand investigative experiences at a snake handling church in Appalachia in his book Salvation on Sand Mountain 24 20 Possession and transportation of venomous snakes edit In July 2008 ten people were arrested and 125 venomous snakes were confiscated as part of an undercover sting operation titled Twice Shy Pastor Gregory James Coots of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name FGTJN in Middlesboro Kentucky was arrested and 74 snakes seized from his home as part of the sting 33 Jamie Coots son of Gregory Coots was cited in 2013 for illegal possession and transportation of venomous snakes when three rattlesnakes and two copperheads were discovered in his vehicle during a vehicle check in Knoxville Tennessee 34 Later in 2013 Coots published an op ed in The Wall Street Journal making an argument for U S Constitutional protection regarding religious freedom especially freedom to practice the unique variety of religion found in snake handling churches 35 Coots died on 15 February 2014 from a snakebite 36 Andrew Hamblin who appeared alongside Jamie Coots in Snake Salvation was cited for having dangerous wildlife in 2014 but a grand jury declined to indict him 37 Risks editThe handling of venomous snakes has significant risks Ralph Hood observes If you go to any serpent handling church you ll see people with atrophied hands and missing fingers All the serpent handling families have suffered such things 20 Jamie Coots a pastor who subsequently died from a snakebite said Handlers get bitten all the time and every few years someone dies 38 Various figures for the total number of deaths from snakebite during religious services have been proposed over 100 documented deaths 2003 by Ralph Hood 20 around 120 2005 by Robert Winston 39 about 100 deaths 2013 by Julia Duin a journalist who has covered snake handling churches and is writing a book on the subject 40 91 documented snake bite deaths 2015 by Paul Williamson professor of psychology at Henderson State University and co author of books with Ralph Hood 41 Another source indicates that 35 people died between 1936 and 1973 23 Hood also notes that the practice does not present a danger to observers There is no documented case of a non handling member being bitten by a serpent handled by another believer 42 Media coverage edit nbsp Snake handling in the Holy Ghost People documentaryA number of films and television programs have been made about religious snake handling Holy Ghost People is a 1967 documentary by Peter Adair It is about the service of a snake handling Pentecostal community in Scrabble Creek West Virginia United States This documentary has entered the public domain and is available at the Internet Archive Heaven Come Down is a 2006 television documentary film about some unusual worship practices of some Pentecostal Christians in Appalachia including snake handling Snake Salvation is a 2013 series produced by the National Geographic Channel comprising 16 episodes in a reality television format 43 The show featured two modern snake handling pastors and their congregations The show s focus was on Jamie Coots who subsequently died of a snakebite The other featured pastor was Andrew Hamblin pastor of the Tabernacle Church of God in LaFollette Tennessee Hamblin a protege of Coots was worshiping at his mentor s church alongside Coots when the fatal snake bite occurred in February 2014 44 Them That Follow is a Sundance Film Nominee about a small Church and community that practices this religion The film stars Walton Goggins Alabama Snake is a 2020 HBO documentary which focuses on the 1991 attempted murder of Darlene Summerford by her husband snake handling pastor Glenn Summerford 45 Known snake handling churches editAlabama Old Rock House Holiness Church Section sometimes Old is omitted or Rock House written as a single word 30 46 23 Georgia Church of the Lord Jesus Christ Kingston 47 New River Holiness Church Enigma 48 49 Wades Chapel Cartersville 50 Indiana Highway Holiness Church of God Fort Wayne sometimes written as Hi Way 37 51 Kentucky Church of Jesus Christ Baxter 52 Crockett Saylor Pentecostal Church Crockett 53 East London Holiness Church London 54 Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name Middlesboro 34 Mossie Simpson Pentecostal Church Jenson 55 North Carolina Unnamed church Marshall 56 South Carolina Holiness Church of God in Jesus Name Greenville 57 Tennessee Apostolic Church of God of the Lord Jesus Greeneville 58 Cobb Creek Church of God Thomasville 59 Edwina Church of God in Jesus Name Del Rio 60 Holiness Church of God in Jesus Name Carson Springs 61 House of Prayer in Jesus Name Morristown 62 Tabernacle Church of God LaFollette 63 64 Virginia Arthurs Chapel Jonesville 65 West Virginia Church of the Lord Jesus Jolo 66 67 House of the Lord Jesus Matoaka 68 House of the Lord Jesus Squire 69 Notable deaths editMain article List of fatal snake bites in the United States The first report of a death from a serpent bite occurred in 1922 at the Church of God Evangel 31 In 1955 George Went Hensley the founder of modern snake handling in the Appalachian Mountains died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service in Altha Florida 39 70 71 In 1961 Columbia Chafin Hagerman died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake during a service at the Church of the Lord Jesus Jolo West Virginia 66 72 In 1967 Jean Saylor wife of a snake handling preacher died after being bitten by a rattlesnake in Bell County Kentucky 53 In 1982 Rev John Holbrook died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service in Oceana WV 73 74 75 76 77 In 1983 Mack Ray Wolford died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake during a service at the Lord Jesus Temple in Mile Branch near Iaeger West Virginia 75 77 78 79 In 1995 Melinda Brown of Parrottsville Tennessee died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake during a service at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro Kentucky 33 23 56 80 81 In 1995 Kale Saylor husband of Jean a Pentecostal preacher died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service at Crockett Saylor Pentecostal Church in Crockett Kentucky 53 In 1997 Daril Colins died after being bitten by a snake during a service in Bell County Kentucky 53 In 1998 John Wayne Punkin Brown husband of Melinda a snake handling evangelist died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake during a service at the Rock House Holiness Church in rural northeastern Alabama 23 82 In 2004 Dwayne Long a Pentecostal pastor died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service in Jonesville Virginia 83 84 85 In 2006 Linda Long died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake during a service at East London Holiness Church London Kentucky 54 86 87 88 In 2012 Mark Randall Mack Wolford son of Mack a Pentecostal pastor died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake while officiating at an outdoor service at Panther Wildlife Management Area West Virginia 79 89 In 2014 Jamie Coots died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake during a service at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro Kentucky 44 81 Coots starred in the TV series Snake Salvation and his death was widely reported 90 In 2015 John Brock died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service at Mossie Simpson Pentecostal Church in Jenson Kentucky 55 91 In popular culture editIn the 1992 film Guncrazy Billy Drago plays a small town preacher who utilizes live snakes in his sermons In 2013 during the fourth season of FX s Justified actor Joseph Mazzello played Preacher Billy 92 a fearless snake handler who hosted tent revivals in Harlan County Kentucky 92 Gospel singer Wendy Bagwell s song Here Come the Rattlesnakes describes his Gospel band Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters performing in a small remote Kentucky church that practiced rattlesnake handling 93 94 In the third episode of the fourth season of The Simpsons Homer the Heretic Homer invites bartender Moe Szyslak to join his religion to which Moe replies Sorry Homer I was born a snake handler and I ll die a snake handler whilst revealing hands covered in bites bruises and adhesive bandages 95 In the ninth episode of the seventh season of The X Files Signs and Wonders Scully and Mulder investigate the death of a young man who used to be a member of a serpent handling church 96 In the fifth episode of the third season of The Righteous Gemstones Peter Montgomery is shown using this practice in the church where he preaches In the podcast Alabama Astronauts songwriter and artist Abe Partridge and Houston Chronicle podcast producer Ferrill Gibbs search for undocumented music found in the churches services of serpent handlers and chronicle the subculture s history in a series of episodic field notes See also editSerpent symbolismNotes edit Hill Hood and Williamson 2005 p 117 In 1914 the Church of God had around 4 000 members By 1922 it had grown to 23 000 members Hill Hood and Williamson speculate that the Church of God disavowed snake handling in an attempt to draw more middle class Christians to their denomination References edit Joseph Campbell amp M J Abadie 1981 The Mythic Image Princeton New Jersey Princeton University Press p 296 Tuomas Rasimus 2007 The Serpent in Gnostic and Related Texts In Painchaud Louis Poirier Paul Hubert eds L Evangile selon Thomas et les textes de Nag Hammadi Colloque International Presses Universite Laval p 804 Encyclopedia of American Religions gives the year as 1909 the Encyclopedia of Religion in the South gives it as 1913 a b Kimbrough 2002 p 191 Hood and Williamson 2008 p 37 a b Hood and Williamson 2008 p 38 Hill Hood and Williamson 2005 p 118 Hood and Williamson 2008 p 41 Hood and Williamson 2008 p 39 Hood and Williamson 2008 p 47 Burton 1993 p 42 Hill Hood and Williamson 2005 p 220 Anderson Robert Mapes 1979 Vision of the Disinherited The Making of American Pentecostalism New York New York Oxford Oxford University Press p 263 ISBN 978 0 19 502502 6 Hood and Williamson 2008 pp 14 37 38 Kimbrough 2002 Burton 1993 p 52 Snake Handlers www cerm info Archived from the original on 22 July 2016 Retrieved 29 June 2017 v Sandy 5 February 2010 The Handkerchief Phenomenon www deceptioninthechurch com Apologetics Coordination Team Retrieved 29 June 2017 Eason Cassandra 1 January 2008 Fabulous Creatures Mythical Monsters and Animal Power Symbols A Handbook Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 9780275994259 via Google Books a b c Handwerk Brian 7 April 2003 Snake Handlers Hang On in Appalachian Churches National Geographic News Archived from the original on 8 April 2003 Burnett John Snake Handling Preachers Open Up About Takin Up Serpents NPR org Mark 16 8 20 a b c d e Ford Mike August 2003 Should Christians Handle Snakes cgg org Retrieved 29 June 2017 a b c d e f g h i Covington Dennis 1995 Salvation on Sand Mountain Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia Reading MA Addison Wesley a b Duin Julia In WVA Snake Handling is still considered a sign of faith Washington Post Retrieved 11 August 2014 Cevallos Danny 26 February 2014 Snakes and church vs state CNN Bastress Robert 1995 The West Virginia Constitution A Reference Guide Westport CT Greenwood Press pp 102 103 ISBN 0313274096 Ruthven Malise 1989 The Divine Supermarket London Chatto amp Windus p 291 ISBN 0 7011 3151 9 Burton 1993 a b Snake Kills Evangelist HiddenMysteries Spiritual Studies www hiddenmysteries org Archived from the original on 25 June 2016 Retrieved 24 April 2016 a b history of snake handling Tennessean com Retrieved 30 July 2014 dead link Covington Dennis 15 February 1992 Alabama Trial Involves Snakes And Bit of Faith The New York Times Archived from the original on 12 December 2020 Retrieved 12 September 2021 a b Alford Roger 12 July 2008 Pastor among suspects in illegal snake bust Associated Press Archived from the original on 3 August 2008 Retrieved 12 July 2008 a b Kentucky Pastor Wants Snakes Confiscated in Knoxville Bust Knoxville News Sentinel 13 February 2013 Archived from the original on 3 December 2013 Retrieved 13 February 2013 author missing Coots Jamie 3 October 2013 The Constitution Protects My Snake Handling Wall Street Journal Pastor Dies After Snake He Was Handling Bit Him WBIR com 16 February 2014 dead link author missing a b WATE Staff 8 January 2014 Grand jury declines to indict Campbell County preacher in snake handling case Burnett John 18 October 2013 Serpent Experts Try To Demystify Pentecostal Snake Handling National Public Radio a b Winston Robert 13 October 2005 Why do we believe in God TheGuardian com Duin Julia 10 September 2013 Snake Salvation Inside the World of Christian Serpent Handlers The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 23 April 2016 Despite pastor s death followers are still handling snakes www cbsnews com 26 February 2014 Hood Ralph W Them that Believe The Power and Meaning of the Serpent Handling Tradition religiousstudiesproject com Retrieved 11 August 2014 National Geographic TV Shows Specials amp Documentaries National Geographic Channel a b Estep Bill 12 November 2015 Snakebite death of Middlesboro pastor was quick son says medical treatment refused Lexington Herald Leader Schager Nick 7 December 2020 The Appalachian Preacher Who Tried to Murder His Wife via Snake Bite The Daily Beast Retrieved 8 December 2020 Pastor Billy Summerford in Section Encyclopedia of Alabama Shelton Steve 28 June 1996 Taking up serpents Augusta Chronicle News Capsules Deseret News 18 January 1995 Zucco Tom 3 October 2005 Newswatch Kelle Brad 8 July 2013 Snake Handlers New Georgia Encyclopedia Jolo Journal When the Faithful Tempt the Serpent The New York Times 11 September 1992 author missing Woman killed by snake in mountain religious service UPI 13 February 1986 a b c d Ward Karla 28 July 2015 Man dies after being bitten while handling snake during Bell County church service a b Woman fatally bitten by snake in church USA Today Associated Press 8 November 2006 Retrieved 13 January 2014 author missing a b Kentucky man dies after snake bite during church service a b Cabell Brian 12 February 1999 Custody of snake bite orphans split between grandparents CNN Retrieved 13 January 2014 Morrow Jimmy 2005 Handling Serpents Mercer University Press p 8 ISBN 0 86554 848 X Kimbrough David 1994 Charles Prince Martyr for His Faith Reid Michael December 2013 COBB CREEK CHURCH CHANGING PERSPECTIVES IN A SERPENT HANDLING CONGREGATION IN EAST TENNESSEE Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Ross Kathy 13 June 2020 History of serpent handling fraught with danger exultation The Mountaineer Alther Lisa 6 June 1976 They shall take up serpents The New York Times Bluefield Daily Telegraph Archives Jul 16 1991 p 1 Bluefield Daily Telegraph 16 July 1991 Duin Julia 7 April 2012 Reviving Faith by Taking Up Serpents Wall Street Journal Smietana Bob 3 June 2012 Snake Handling Believers Find Joy in Test of Faith The Tennessean Retrieved 3 June 2012 Sarasota Herald Tribune Google News Archive Search news google com a b Duin Julia 18 October 2011 In W Va snake handling is still considered a sign of faith Washington Post Dorgan Howard Serpent Handling at Jolo West Virginia and the Legitimacy of the Marcan Appendix Appalachian State University Archived from the original on 8 September 2006 Retrieved 29 October 2008 Duin Julia 1 July 2012 Death of snake handling preacher shines light on lethal Appalachian tradition CNN Rosen Miss 9 February 2023 The passion of West Virginia s last snake handling church Huck Times News staff 27 July 1955 Faith Remains Despite Fatal Bite of Chief Times News Hendersonville North Carolina p 3 Retrieved 2 February 2012 Brown Joi Snake Handling in the Pentecostal Church The Precedent Set by George Hensley Virginia Tech Archived from the original on 18 July 2005 Retrieved 13 January 2014 Faith strong at service for snake handlers Lubbock Online Lubbock Avalanche Journal Archived from the original on 12 May 2016 Lakeland Ledger Google News Archive Search news google com Chicago Tribune Historical Newspapers Chicago Tribune a b Web Extra 1983 Daily Telegraph story detailing the death of Wolford s father also from a snake bite Bluefield Daily Telegraph 30 August 1983 Retrieved 12 June 2012 author missing Mathews Garret 3 April 1983 Praise the Lord and pass the snake service is a trip if you can handle it The Chicago Tribune p J3 Retrieved 23 September 2013 a b The Lewiston Journal Google News Archive Search news google com Snake Bite Proves Fatal Sitka Alaska Daily Sitka Sentinel 31 August 1983 p 7 via Newspapers com a b Duin Julia 30 May 2012 Serpent handling pastor profiled earlier in Washington Post dies from rattlesnake bite Washington Post Retrieved 13 January 2014 Months after snake handling preacher s death his son recovering from snakebite Archived from the original on 15 April 2016 Retrieved 24 April 2016 a b Snake Salvation pastor dies from snake bite www bbc co uk BBC 17 February 2014 Jackson Wayne Sincere but Wrong Dead Wrong www christiancourier com Christian Courier Snakebite proves fatal to minister Kingsport Publishing Corporation 15 April 2004 via www sullivan county com Hammack Laurence 18 April 2004 For snake handlers going to church can prove deadly USA Roanoke Times via Religion News Blog Sarasota Herald Tribune Google News Archive Search news google com Heller Matthew Nurse Sued for Dissing Faith of Bitten Snake Handler Medicine Archived from the original on 31 May 2016 Woman Dies After Snakebite In Church www cbsnews com CBS News 7 November 2006 Woman fatally bitten by snake in church NBC News 8 November 2006 Pond Lauren 31 May 2012 Why I watched a snake handling pastor die for his faith Washington Post A google search reveals numerous reports Pendleton Phil Man dies of snake bite during church service in Bell County a b The new preacher man on Justified is the little boy from Jurassic Park yahoo com 8 January 2013 Laugh amp a Half 21 January 1994 via Amazon Proverbs243 22 August 2013 Wendy Bagwell The Rattlesnake Story Archived from the original on 11 December 2021 via YouTube a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Homer the Heretic The Simpsons Archive Retrieved 26 January 2023 Silber Kenneth 30 June 2000 The X Files Signs and Wonders Space com TechMediaNetwork Archived from the original on 7 February 2005 Retrieved 5 January 2012 Bibliography editBooks Bultmann Rudolf 1963 The History of the Synoptic Tradition Oxford England Blackwell Burton Thomas G 1993 Serpent handling Believers Knoxville Tennessee University of Tennessee Press ISBN 978 0 87049 788 9 Duin Julia C 2017 In the House of the Serpent Handler A Story of Faith and Fleeting Fame in the Age of Social Media Knoxville Tennessee University of Tennessee Press ISBN 978 1 62190 375 8 Hill Peter C Hood Ralph W Williamson William Paul 2005 The Psychology of Religious Fundamentalism New York New York Guilford Press ISBN 978 1 59385 150 7 Hood Ralph W Williamson William Paul 2008 Them That Believe The Power and Meaning of the Christian Serpent handling Tradition Berkeley and Los Angeles California University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 25587 6 Kimbrough David L 2002 Taking Up Serpents Snake Handlers of Eastern Kentucky Macon Georgia Mercer University Press ISBN 978 0 86554 798 8 Leonard Bill J 1999 The Bible and Serpent Handling In Williams Peter W ed Perspectives on American Religion and Culture Malden Massachusetts Wiley Blackwell ISBN 978 1 57718 118 7 Dennis Covington Salvation on Sand Mountain Snake Handling and Salvation in Southern Appalachia New York Penguin 1996 Fred Brown and Jeanne MacDonald The Serpent Handlers Three Families and Their Faith Winston Salem J F Blair 2000 Weston La Barre They shall take up serpents The psychology of the Southern Snake Handling Cult University of Minnesota Press 1962 Jim Morrow and Ralph Hood Handling Serpents Pastor Jimmy Morrow s Narrative History of his Appalachian Jesus Name Tradition Macon Mercer University Press 2005 Pond Lauren 2017 Test of Faith Signs Serpents Salvation Duke University Press Articles Hood Ralph W Williamson William Paul December 2004 Differential Maintenance and Growth of Religious Organizations Based upon High Cost Behaviors Serpent Handling within the Church of God Review of Religious Research 46 2 150 68 doi 10 2307 3512230 JSTOR 3512230 Stephen Kane Ritual Possession in a Southern Appalachian Religious Sect The Journal of American Folklore 27 348 October December 1974 293 302 Paul Williamson and Ralph Hood Jr Differential Maintenance and Growth of Religious Organisations Based on High Cost Behaviours Serpent Handling with the Church of God Review of Religious Research 46 2 December 2004 150 168 Paul W Williamson and Howard R Pollo The Phenomenology of Religious Serpent Handling A Rationale and Thematic Study of Extemporaneous Sermons Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 38 2 June 1999 203 218 External links editWashington Post photo gallery University of Virginia article on serpent handlers Vice Magazine interview with Andrew Hamblin Taking Up Serpents by Andrea Perkins Chattanooga Times Free Press article on snake handlers MA thesis on Appalachian snake handling Ralph W Hood and W Paul Williamson Holiness Churches of Appalachia Recordings and Interviews Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Snake handling in Christianity amp oldid 1216766474, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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