Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia

Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern AppalachiaA haunting exploration of faith, from a preacher convicted of attempted murder to a first hand account of holiness serpent handling "One of the best books on American religion from the last 25 years" (Chicago Tribune) For New York Times reporter Dennis Covington, what began as a journalistic assignment covering the trial of an Alabama pastor convicted of attempting to murder his wife with poisonous snakes would evolve into a headlong plunge into a

A haunting exploration of faith, from a preacher convicted of attempted murder to a first-hand account of holiness serpent handling--"One of the best books on American religion from the last 25 years" (Chicago Tribune)

For New York Times reporter Dennis Covington, what began as a journalistic assignment-covering the trial of an Alabama pastor convicted of attempting to murder his wife with poisonous snakes-would evolve into a headlong plunge into a bizarre, mysterious, and ultimately irresistible world of unshakable faith: the world of holiness snake handling.Set in the heart of Appalachia, Salvation on Sand Mountain is Covington's unsurpassed and chillingly captivating exploration of the nature, power, and extremity of faith-an exploration that gradually turns inward, until Covington finds himself taking up the snakes.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Published: 08/01/2009
ISBN: 9780306818363
Pages: 249
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 0.80d

Review Citations: Christian Century 05/05/2009 pg. 33