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The Serpent Handlers: Three Families and Their Faith
A fascinating study of the snake handlers of Appalachia describes how members of this devout sect risk their own lives to promote their faith, drawing on interviews with three snake-handling families to reveal the traditions of their faith and their religious beliefs and doctrines.
356 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 9, 2013
I must admit that I began reading this book thinking that it would be an interesting look into a very small and strange subculture--Christians who believe that the Bible calls them to handle poisonous snakes, hold fire, and drink strychnine--but there was also an element of me that wanted to literarily "gawk" at the freaks who do this crazy stuff. It's to the credit of the authors of this book and its subjects that I came away with a completely different view. Although the strangeness factor is still rather high, and although I certainly don't agree with their interpretation of the Bible, I must say that I developed a great degree of respect for these serpent-handling believers. Their willingness to do what they believe God has called them to without fear of how it will look to others, or fear of how the law will view them, or for that matter, without fear period, is commendable. Their religious beliefs are clearly outside of the norm and they recognize it with humor but also with dedication. My only complaint is that some of the stories (or "testimonies") of the subjects begin to run together because of the similarities of the lives of many of these people; it could certainly be a bit shorter, but overall a great book!
March 14, 2009
Sign Followers, a denomination most prevalent in the southern Appalachian Mountains, derive their peculiar form of worship from a passage in Mark 16:17-18: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak in new tongues; They shall [emphasis mine:] 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. Adherents insist the purpose in passing large angry rattlesnakes and other venomous reptiles and drinking water laced with strychnine is not to test God, but rather a form of obedience.
The Serpent Handlers, as they are more commonly known, have their roots in three strand of American Protestantism: Holiness, Fundamentalism, and Pentacostalism. Holiness, their preferred appellation is derived from early Methodism and its founder, Charles Wesley. They believe in being obedient to God in all things and a reluctance to accept modern culture. They are fiercely independent and thus the death by snake bite of Punkin Brown during a church service and the subsequent ruling of a local church removing his children from the home of Punkin’s grandparents (Punkin’s wife had died three years previously of snakebite) and prohibiting the children from being in attendance at any church service where there might be venomous snakes, has placed a singular burden on the religious faith of these people. (Despite the autopsy evidence, the family insisted Punkin’s death was not due to snake venom, but rather that he had died of a heart attack, and, indeed, he did have a dangerously enlarged heart. He had been bitten many times before, something the coroner said would have eventually made him more sensitive to snake venom and the location of the bite was very close to some important blood vessels that would have taken the poison directly to the heart.
Fred Brown and his wife Jeanne McDonald have provided a singular service by collecting on tape the stories of several of these people. And touching stories these are revealing simple, mostly illiterate, but loving people who are struggling to follow what they believe to be God’s mandate, risking their lives in the process – seventy-six church-related death from snake-bite have occurred since 1900.
John Brown, Punkin’s father, cannot understand why society can be so selective in what they chose to believe from the Bible. If other’s can chose to believe John 3:16, then why can’t he and his fellow believers follow Mark 16: “They shall take up serpents.” “Now they preach that, and they practice that. Why am I not allowed to practice Saint Mark 16. . . .Why should there be controversy there anywhere? The same God said it all.”
It’s difficult not to feel great sympathy and empathy for these people who clearly are smitten with the overwhelming desire to demonstrate their faith and obedience. The area itself has been devastated numerous times by economic disaster, the landscape raped through unthinking coal mine operations, the people ravaged by unemployment and black lung disease. Middlesboro, Kentucky, where one of the families, lives and worships, has some 3,000 people living below the poverty line, out of a total population of 11,000. Faced with financial ruin and seemingly abandoned by the government and industry, they seek solace by turning to the church, heaven being a place worth even dying for. Scores of Fundamentalist churches can be found in Middlesboro, all based on hard-shell religious beliefs. They demand strict living from their adherents, and until economic times improve, “the people will praise God in their old ways, still waiting to get to a better place.”
The Serpent Handlers, as they are more commonly known, have their roots in three strand of American Protestantism: Holiness, Fundamentalism, and Pentacostalism. Holiness, their preferred appellation is derived from early Methodism and its founder, Charles Wesley. They believe in being obedient to God in all things and a reluctance to accept modern culture. They are fiercely independent and thus the death by snake bite of Punkin Brown during a church service and the subsequent ruling of a local church removing his children from the home of Punkin’s grandparents (Punkin’s wife had died three years previously of snakebite) and prohibiting the children from being in attendance at any church service where there might be venomous snakes, has placed a singular burden on the religious faith of these people. (Despite the autopsy evidence, the family insisted Punkin’s death was not due to snake venom, but rather that he had died of a heart attack, and, indeed, he did have a dangerously enlarged heart. He had been bitten many times before, something the coroner said would have eventually made him more sensitive to snake venom and the location of the bite was very close to some important blood vessels that would have taken the poison directly to the heart.
Fred Brown and his wife Jeanne McDonald have provided a singular service by collecting on tape the stories of several of these people. And touching stories these are revealing simple, mostly illiterate, but loving people who are struggling to follow what they believe to be God’s mandate, risking their lives in the process – seventy-six church-related death from snake-bite have occurred since 1900.
John Brown, Punkin’s father, cannot understand why society can be so selective in what they chose to believe from the Bible. If other’s can chose to believe John 3:16, then why can’t he and his fellow believers follow Mark 16: “They shall take up serpents.” “Now they preach that, and they practice that. Why am I not allowed to practice Saint Mark 16. . . .Why should there be controversy there anywhere? The same God said it all.”
It’s difficult not to feel great sympathy and empathy for these people who clearly are smitten with the overwhelming desire to demonstrate their faith and obedience. The area itself has been devastated numerous times by economic disaster, the landscape raped through unthinking coal mine operations, the people ravaged by unemployment and black lung disease. Middlesboro, Kentucky, where one of the families, lives and worships, has some 3,000 people living below the poverty line, out of a total population of 11,000. Faced with financial ruin and seemingly abandoned by the government and industry, they seek solace by turning to the church, heaven being a place worth even dying for. Scores of Fundamentalist churches can be found in Middlesboro, all based on hard-shell religious beliefs. They demand strict living from their adherents, and until economic times improve, “the people will praise God in their old ways, still waiting to get to a better place.”
March 6, 2025
I only read the Coots family section, it was what was asked of me, and I've interacted with the family before. It was a beautiful read to read it through their perspectives, not only interacting with their religious affiliations and practices, but with their backstory and their relationships with others and their church. I was absolutely hooked when it got to Linda's story, despite slightly putting herself down for not being educated, she has a wonderful narrative voice
January 13, 2023
Why, as a liberal Episcopalian, am I fascinated by the serpent-handling churches of the Holiness brand of Protestantism? Honestly, I am still figuring that out. It is definitely something I am thinking about.
This book is a sensitive account of three prominent families in the serpent-handling church; it provides illuminating insight into the beliefs and lives of devout Christians who literally take their lives into their own hands when they worship. Primarily told in their own words, their story is one of humility, sincerity and single-minded devotion to their interpretation of the Bible.
Viewing these people as crazy, or ignorant, or living in an alternate reality betrays a lack of understanding of who these people are. While I don't subscribe to their theology, after reading this book I have to admit that I respect them.
Before succumbing to preconceived notions about the attitudes of serpent-handling believers, read this book. Read it with an open mind, and be surprised by their authenticity, their openness, and the light which illumines their lives. There are aspects of their experience that I envy.
Why am I fascinated by this topic? Perhaps because my maternal ancestors lived in East Tennessee, where this peculiar tradition started. Perhaps because I am yearning for something I can't identify that I haven't experienced yet. Perhaps because I am a believer in the Word, and recognize that I am still learning to read its many, diverse manifestations.
In any case, this book touched something deep within me that I don't yet understand. I'd love to hear from anyone with whom this topic resonates in a similar way.
This book is a sensitive account of three prominent families in the serpent-handling church; it provides illuminating insight into the beliefs and lives of devout Christians who literally take their lives into their own hands when they worship. Primarily told in their own words, their story is one of humility, sincerity and single-minded devotion to their interpretation of the Bible.
Viewing these people as crazy, or ignorant, or living in an alternate reality betrays a lack of understanding of who these people are. While I don't subscribe to their theology, after reading this book I have to admit that I respect them.
Before succumbing to preconceived notions about the attitudes of serpent-handling believers, read this book. Read it with an open mind, and be surprised by their authenticity, their openness, and the light which illumines their lives. There are aspects of their experience that I envy.
Why am I fascinated by this topic? Perhaps because my maternal ancestors lived in East Tennessee, where this peculiar tradition started. Perhaps because I am yearning for something I can't identify that I haven't experienced yet. Perhaps because I am a believer in the Word, and recognize that I am still learning to read its many, diverse manifestations.
In any case, this book touched something deep within me that I don't yet understand. I'd love to hear from anyone with whom this topic resonates in a similar way.
Read
February 1, 2020Read up to Elkins family (WV) section then had to return book to library. Very good book especially in that it allows the church members to tell their own stories.
June 22, 2015
Jesus said "Go into the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed." Mark 16.
I started this book with curiosity and doubt. What I thought was another Appalachian Freak Show is, rather, a church of genuine, faithful, humble, God loving and God fearing believers. The authors tell the stories of three different Appalachian churches/locations via the congregants own words. The interviews are an account of the lives, relationships, testimonies and practices of various snake handlers. The amount of faith and obedience displayed in these interviews made me question the quality of my own. Doubt and cynicism is now awe and respect.
I started this book with curiosity and doubt. What I thought was another Appalachian Freak Show is, rather, a church of genuine, faithful, humble, God loving and God fearing believers. The authors tell the stories of three different Appalachian churches/locations via the congregants own words. The interviews are an account of the lives, relationships, testimonies and practices of various snake handlers. The amount of faith and obedience displayed in these interviews made me question the quality of my own. Doubt and cynicism is now awe and respect.
January 10, 2012
I was very impressed with this book. Although I've heard of the serpent-handling faith, this was really the first account (or rather, collection of accounts) I've had the opportunity to read. I appreciated the authors' approach to the individuals, as well, in providing a short biography of each person and then sharing a transcript of their own narration.
But while I admire the authors' intention to let these individuals speak for themselves, the narratives raise interesting questions about the serpent-handling faith that I wish the authors would have spent time exploring - perhaps in a separate chapter that discussed in more depth their own perspectives about this culture of faith practices. (This is especially true because it seems like they would use a less slanted or sensationalized method than other journalists.)
Other than that one small element, though, this book is a great read and very interesting.
But while I admire the authors' intention to let these individuals speak for themselves, the narratives raise interesting questions about the serpent-handling faith that I wish the authors would have spent time exploring - perhaps in a separate chapter that discussed in more depth their own perspectives about this culture of faith practices. (This is especially true because it seems like they would use a less slanted or sensationalized method than other journalists.)
Other than that one small element, though, this book is a great read and very interesting.
November 3, 2010
Very interesting. I learned a lot about the Holiness and why those who follow it believe the way they believe. I now have a deeper understanding of their faith now and appreciate their beliefs. I'm glad I read it. The only thing I didn't love was that the three families don't have lives all that different from each other, so it was a bit repetitive in places, but it was still very informative.
October 25, 2013
This book tells the story of three families , one of which is now featured on National Geographic Channels Snake Salvation reality show. This book was written 13 years before the series aired and even at that time ,Jamie Coots was well known in the snake handling churches of Appalachia.That being said, this is a look into the faith and world of a small but odd sect of Christianity, and their thoughts and history
January 21, 2016
The Serpent Handlers: Three Families and Their Faith by Fred Brown and Jeanne McDonald (John F. Blair 2000) (289.9) is an interesting account of time spent among the "Signs Followers" according to the archaic biblical tenets of Mark 16:17-18. It's amazing what the mind can accomplish when absolute belief and faith are combined. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 2/5/10.
September 20, 2007
If you are looking for a def. historical book about the sign churches you will have to look some where else. That said, this book is really good. Just transcribed conversations with practitioners. Really enthralling stuff.
March 26, 2012
Fascinating accounts by handlers(three families) themselves on their faith and why they snake handle. Told in their own words.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews