The Mystery of Snake Handling
Journalist Dennis Covington has written a new book about the practice of snake handling in a Southern Appalachian church. Practitioners use snake handling as a kind of anointing -- a belief that the Holy Spirit comes down to protect them from fear and danger in handling the poisonous snakes. Covington's book, Salvation on Sand Mountain, is both a journalistic endeavor and an exploration of his own faith.
Other segments from the episode on January 10, 1995
Fresh Air with Terry Gross, January 10, 1995: Interview with Dennis Covington; Interview with Vanessa Redgrave; Review of Pete Dexter's novel "The Paperboy."
Transcript
Transcript currently not available.
Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.