News and Events

Serpent Handling and Religious Expression:

A Discussion Between Dr. Thomas Burton and Dr. Ron Roach

Tuesday December 1, 2020, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Zoom webinar: https://etsu.zoom.us/j/92863344089

A recording of this event is available on the Archives' YouTube channel.

The Archives of Appalachia will host a discussion via Zoom between Dr. Thomas Burton (Prof. Emeritus of English) and Dr. Ronald Roach (Chair of the Dept. of Appalachian Studies), centering on Dr. Burton's research into the religious rituals and practices of southern Appalachia, particularly of "signs following" Holiness Pentecostal churches, about which Burton has written two books: 1993's Serpent Handling Believers and 2004's The Serpent and the Spirit.

A portion of Burton's research is featured in the upcoming documentary film Alabama Snake, which will premiere on HBO on Wednesday, December 9. The film explores the story of Glenn Summerford, a serpent-handling Pentecostal minister who was accused of attempting to murder his wife with a rattlesnake in Alabama in 1991.

The event is free and open to the public.