Available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle print replica editions.
This is the tale of how bad hermeneutics leads to bad practices in the church. This book details the practice of serpent handling in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) from 1912 through 1934. Church of God evangelists traveled from north to south, and east to west, carrying the message that signs follow believers and one of those signs is handling snakes. Zealous followers of the Pentecostal message heard, believed, and enthusiastically took up serpents. Even with its significant supporters, the practice was controversial and eventually ended as a second generation of Church of God leaders rejected the practice. The story is told using original sources and periodicals in which the voices of proponents and opponents of the serpent handling movement can be heard. The final chapter offers reflections on the theological and hermeneutical implications of the story. How can we correctly interpret scripture?
From the Foreword:
“Snakes at the Altar is helpful for the Church of God (and for other Pentecostals) not only as a work of history but for its surprisingly pertinent theological implications. Tomberlin not only uncovers history heretofore hidden away but also reflects on the faulty hermeneutics which contributed to certain missteps and, fortunately, on the courageous commitment of leaders and congregations in the movement in bringing themselves back into alignment with their own best intuitions. . . The time is right for this work . . . I highly recommend this work. It is good history. It is good theology. It is good ministry. Anyone interested in these values will find this work valuable.”
Tony L. Richie, DMin, PhD
