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Book Reviews / Pneuma 31 (2009) 291-329
Ralph W. Hood, Jr. and W. Paul Williamson, Them That Believe: The Power and the Mean- ing of the Christian Serpent-Handling Tradition (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008). xvi + 301 pp., $24.95, paper.
In the true tradition of anthropological research, these two psychologists have spent fifteen years in researching and writing a comprehensive work on contemporary serpent handlers in Appalachia. Employing a multiple disciplinary research methodology, Hood and Williamson expertly weave their field notes from participant observations in churches and homes of serpent handlers with analysis from their training in phenomenological psychol- ogy. The result is an intriguing account of the history and tradition of the involvement of Appalachian Pentecostals in serpent handling; the experiences of believers being anointed by the Spirit, being bitten, almost dying, and the meaning of serpent handling expressed in sermons and music. In this work there is something for everyone, including a discussion on the biological species of snakes used by handlers, the history of discriminatory laws that have been enacted in various states out of fear of and prejudice against handlers, a discus- sion of trance states associated with speaking in tongues and healing, and detailed endnotes and appendixes that provide data on the eighty-nine believers that have died thus far from serpent bites. One could not ask for a more thorough investigation of this often misunder- stood religious practice.
In the preface, Hood and Williamson explain their purpose in writing such a detailed and inclusive report on serpent handlers. T eir intention in expending such an extraordi- nary amount of time and eff ort in observing, interviewing, and researching is to facilitate an appreciation and understanding of a contemporary American religious group that has been sensationalized by some and vilifi ed by others. For me, the goal of enhancing the cultural understanding of a discriminated religious minority gives their work additional reliability and credibility.
A review of environmental factors is minimal in this discussion of Appalachian serpent handlers. The Appalachian Mountains are full of various species of dangerous snakes, but the author begs the question as to why the Pentecostal handlers accept the snake as a sym- bol of danger, evil, and possible death. The meaning of serpents has a defi nite environmen- tal and cultural context. The Hopi of northern Arizona desert also used rattlesnakes in religious ceremonies but view these dangerous creatures as messengers that carry the prayers for rain to the ancestral spirits that reside in the underworld of the Grand Canyon. Danger, destiny, and power are strong themes among Appalachian people, but a psychological explanation is not the only possible explanation. T eir culture has been assaulted by miners and loggers for over a hundred years and this continues today with tourism, land develop- ers, and government agencies. Could being marginalized by environmental and social change be part of their need to handle as a means to revitalize their way of life?
The importance of this wonderful work is that it humanizes the mountain people by giving us a glimpse into their complex theology and worldview, their strong family and clan organization, and their struggle with personal faith out of a need to fulfi ll the biblical pas- sage in Mark 16. The authors bring us so vividly into their world that many of us can identify with the spiritual quest of the serpent handlers. This is a must read for anyone
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009 DOI: 10.1163/027209609X12470371388128
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Book Reviews / Pneuma 31 (2009) 291-329
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interested in Appalachian culture, indigenous religious movements, or as a model of cross- cultural social psychological research.
Reviewed by Murl O. Dirksen
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