Taking Up Serpents

by David L. Kimbrough

Book Overview

In Taking Up Serpents: A History of Snake Handling Kimbrough explains the history and practice of serpent-handling believers from the perspective of a respectful and scholarly participant-observer. While this is a story of Kimbrough's experiences with the Saylor family of Eastern Kentucky, Kimbrough explains the origins of serpent handling as they emerged in the teachings of George Hensley of the Grasshopper community near Cleveland, Tennessee...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 086554798X
• ISBN13: 9780865547988
• Release Date: November 2021
• Publisher: Mercer University Press
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Very well written

This is a wonderful book written by an author who got to know the families and understands their ways. Even though this book does tell the history of how snakehandling came to be included in church services, it also explains the side of the individuals who have a deep desire to serve the Lord entirely and hold back nothing from Him, even their own life if so desired by Him. In an age of lukewarmness, it is encouraging to read of Christians willing to suffer persecution or give their life for their faith. This book includes many photos of the persons written about in the book. I am glad that I bought this book and highly commend the author and the Lord who supplied it.

taking up serpents

Being a snake handling buff and unable to read David L. Kimbrough's, Taking Up Serpents for years, I finally had the pleasure. Kimbrough's work far surpasses anything else that has been written on the subject. Kimbrough being an Appalachian and Ph.D. sets the standard for doing oral research along with combing the archieves. Kimbrough's work focuses on the Saylor family in eastern Kentucky and shows how the movement evolved. Kimbrough illustrates how the snake handling movement gained momentum when industrial capitalism surfaced in Kentucky. The work is simply the best source for scholars and people with a general interest in snake handliing. No other book comes close to this masterpiece.