Serpent Handling Bibliography
[Revised 2023]
Ball, Matthew M. 2015. “Targeting Religion: Analyzing Appalachian Proscriptions on Religious Snake Handling.” Boston University Law Review 95: 1425-1450.
Burton, Thomas. Serpent-Handling Believers. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1993.
Pent. BX7990 H6 B87 1993
Burton, Thomas. The Serpent and the Spirit: Glenn Summerford’s Story. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 2004. KF 224 S78 B87 2004
Carden, Karen W. and Robert W. Pelton. The Persecuted Prophets: The Story of the Frenzied Serpent Handlers. A.S. Barnes and Company, 1976.
Pent. BX7990 H6 C28 1976
Church of God Evangel (Index of articles dealing with snake handling, 1910-1949).
Collins, J. B. Tennessee Snake Handlers: the Dolley Pond Church of God with Signs Following. N.p., 1947.
Pent. BX7990 H6 C6
Coots, Jamie. “The Constitution Protects my Serpent Handling; It’s an Exotic Religious Practice to Many, Yes, but No Less Deserving of Protection.” The Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2013.
Cossin, Robyn. “Regarding the Rites of Others: An Analysis of Responses to the Serpent-handling Sects.” MA Thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2020.
Covington, Dennis. Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1995.
Pent. BX7990 H6 C6 1995
Daughtery, Mary Lee. "Serpent-Handling as Sacrament." Theology Today 33:3 (October 1976): 232-243.
Duin, Julia. “Snake Handlers Take Center Stage in New Opera at the Kennedy Center.” Religion News Service, January 9, 2019.
Gray-Hildenbrand, Jenna. “The Appalachian ‘Other’: Academic Approaches to the Study of Serpent-handling Sects.” Religion Compass (2016) 10.3: 47-57.
Hood Jr., Ralph W. and W. Paul Williamson. Them That Believe: The Power and Meaning of the Serpent-Handling Tradition. Berkley: University of California Press, 2008.
Hood Jr., Ralph W., W. Paul Williamson, and Ronald J. Morris. "Changing Views of Serpent Handling: A Quasi-Experimental Study.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (2000) 39.3: 287-296.
Kane, Steven M. "Appalachian Snake Handlers." Perspectives on the American South. Vol 4, James C. Cobb and Charles R. Wilson, eds. Gordon and Breach, 1987.
Kane, Steven Michael. Snake Handlers of Southern Appalachia. Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton University, 1979.
Pent. BX7990 H6 K35 1981
Kerns Jr., Robert W. “Protecting the Faithful from their Faith: A Proposal for Snake-Handling Law in West Virginia.” West Virginia University Law Review (2013) 116: 561-581.
Kimbrough, David L. Taking Up Serpents: Snake Handlers of Eastern Kentucky. The University of North Carolina Press, 1995.
Pent. BX7990 H6 K46 1995
LaBarre, Weston. They Shall Take Up Serpents: Psychology of the Southern Snake-Handling Cult. University of Minnesota Press, 1962. Pent. BL441 L3
McVicar, Michael J. “Take away the Serpents from Us: The Sign of Serpent Handling and the Development of Southern Pentecostalism.” Journal of Southern Religion (2013) 15.
Morrow, Jimmy. Handling Serpents: Pastor Jimmy Morrow’s Narrative History of His Appalachian Jesus’ Name Tradition. Edited by Ralph W. Hood Jr. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2005.
Patel, Faziel. “SPCA Investigates ’Snake Pastor.” Eyewitness News, July 17, 2015. https://ewn.co.za/2015/07/17/SPCA-investigates-snake-pastor.
Pelton, Robert W. and Karen W. Carden Snake Handlers: God-fearers? Or, Fanatics? Thomas Nelson, 1974.
Pent. BX7990 H6 P38
Silver, Christopher F., Ralph W. Hood Jr., and W. Paul Williamson. “The Differential Evaluation of Religious Risk Rituals Involving Serpents in Two Cultures.” Studia Religiologica (2013) 46.1: 1-15.
Smietana, Bob. “Snake Handling Pastor Excused by Grand-Jury.” Christian Century. February 5, 2014.
"Snake Handling." Information file, Hal Bernard Dixon Jr. Pentecostal Research Center. (Contains numerous newspaper articles concerning snake handling).
"Snake Handling in Scottsboro, Ala." NBC Dateline, January 1995 [Video Tape]
Tidball, Keith G., and Chris Toumey. “Serpents, Sainthood, and Celebrity: Symbolic and Ritual Tension in Appalachian Pentecostal Snake Handling.” The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture (2007) 17.1.
Williamson, W. Paul, and Ralph W. Hood. “Religious Serpent Handling and Community Relations.” Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community (2015) 43: 186-198.
Other Possible Resources:
East Tennessee State University Archives has a collection on snake-handling.
Ball, Matthew M. 2015. “Targeting Religion: Analyzing Appalachian Proscriptions on Religious Snake Handling.” Boston University Law Review 95: 1425-1450.
Burton, Thomas. Serpent-Handling Believers. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1993.
Pent. BX7990 H6 B87 1993
Burton, Thomas. The Serpent and the Spirit: Glenn Summerford’s Story. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 2004. KF 224 S78 B87 2004
Carden, Karen W. and Robert W. Pelton. The Persecuted Prophets: The Story of the Frenzied Serpent Handlers. A.S. Barnes and Company, 1976.
Pent. BX7990 H6 C28 1976
Church of God Evangel (Index of articles dealing with snake handling, 1910-1949).
Collins, J. B. Tennessee Snake Handlers: the Dolley Pond Church of God with Signs Following. N.p., 1947.
Pent. BX7990 H6 C6
Coots, Jamie. “The Constitution Protects my Serpent Handling; It’s an Exotic Religious Practice to Many, Yes, but No Less Deserving of Protection.” The Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2013.
Cossin, Robyn. “Regarding the Rites of Others: An Analysis of Responses to the Serpent-handling Sects.” MA Thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2020.
Covington, Dennis. Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1995.
Pent. BX7990 H6 C6 1995
Daughtery, Mary Lee. "Serpent-Handling as Sacrament." Theology Today 33:3 (October 1976): 232-243.
Duin, Julia. “Snake Handlers Take Center Stage in New Opera at the Kennedy Center.” Religion News Service, January 9, 2019.
Gray-Hildenbrand, Jenna. “The Appalachian ‘Other’: Academic Approaches to the Study of Serpent-handling Sects.” Religion Compass (2016) 10.3: 47-57.
Hood Jr., Ralph W. and W. Paul Williamson. Them That Believe: The Power and Meaning of the Serpent-Handling Tradition. Berkley: University of California Press, 2008.
Hood Jr., Ralph W., W. Paul Williamson, and Ronald J. Morris. "Changing Views of Serpent Handling: A Quasi-Experimental Study.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (2000) 39.3: 287-296.
Kane, Steven M. "Appalachian Snake Handlers." Perspectives on the American South. Vol 4, James C. Cobb and Charles R. Wilson, eds. Gordon and Breach, 1987.
Kane, Steven Michael. Snake Handlers of Southern Appalachia. Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton University, 1979.
Pent. BX7990 H6 K35 1981
Kerns Jr., Robert W. “Protecting the Faithful from their Faith: A Proposal for Snake-Handling Law in West Virginia.” West Virginia University Law Review (2013) 116: 561-581.
Kimbrough, David L. Taking Up Serpents: Snake Handlers of Eastern Kentucky. The University of North Carolina Press, 1995.
Pent. BX7990 H6 K46 1995
LaBarre, Weston. They Shall Take Up Serpents: Psychology of the Southern Snake-Handling Cult. University of Minnesota Press, 1962. Pent. BL441 L3
McVicar, Michael J. “Take away the Serpents from Us: The Sign of Serpent Handling and the Development of Southern Pentecostalism.” Journal of Southern Religion (2013) 15.
Morrow, Jimmy. Handling Serpents: Pastor Jimmy Morrow’s Narrative History of His Appalachian Jesus’ Name Tradition. Edited by Ralph W. Hood Jr. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2005.
Patel, Faziel. “SPCA Investigates ’Snake Pastor.” Eyewitness News, July 17, 2015. https://ewn.co.za/2015/07/17/SPCA-investigates-snake-pastor.
Pelton, Robert W. and Karen W. Carden Snake Handlers: God-fearers? Or, Fanatics? Thomas Nelson, 1974.
Pent. BX7990 H6 P38
Silver, Christopher F., Ralph W. Hood Jr., and W. Paul Williamson. “The Differential Evaluation of Religious Risk Rituals Involving Serpents in Two Cultures.” Studia Religiologica (2013) 46.1: 1-15.
Smietana, Bob. “Snake Handling Pastor Excused by Grand-Jury.” Christian Century. February 5, 2014.
"Snake Handling." Information file, Hal Bernard Dixon Jr. Pentecostal Research Center. (Contains numerous newspaper articles concerning snake handling).
"Snake Handling in Scottsboro, Ala." NBC Dateline, January 1995 [Video Tape]
Tidball, Keith G., and Chris Toumey. “Serpents, Sainthood, and Celebrity: Symbolic and Ritual Tension in Appalachian Pentecostal Snake Handling.” The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture (2007) 17.1.
Williamson, W. Paul, and Ralph W. Hood. “Religious Serpent Handling and Community Relations.” Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community (2015) 43: 186-198.
Other Possible Resources:
East Tennessee State University Archives has a collection on snake-handling.
