Includes bibliographical references (p. 267-284) and index.
Contents
"They shall take up serpents" -- The history of Pentecostalism absent the serpent -- The media and the man : George Went Hensley -- Serpent handling endorsed by the Church of God -- The serpent : sign and symbol -- Trance states : tongues speaking and the anointing -- Extemporaneous sermons in the serpent-handling tradition -- The experience of handling serpents -- The experience of the anointing -- Near-death experience from serpent bites in religious settings -- Music among serpent-handling churches -- Serpent handling and the law : history and empirical studies.
