Available March 2005

Southern History

192 pages, 6 x 9

978-0-8665-848-0

$19.00s, Paper

Index, bibliography

MUP/P302

Pastor Jimmy Morrow’s Narrative History of His Appalachian Jesus’ Name Tradition

Jimmy Morrow with Ralph W. Hood, Jr., editor

The story of serpent handling from an insider

Jimmy Morrow, a pastor and serpent handler for over a quarter of a century, explores the history of serpent handling from a variety of sources, including his extensive familiarity with families whose roots are deep in Appalachia. As a native Appalachian, Jimmy has access to histories unavailable to outsiders. While not formally trained as a historian, Jimmy’s own narrative of the Jesus’ Name tradition is a unique contribution to not only Appalachian studies but to the history of what many have prematurely thought to be a tradition whose obituary is soon to be written.
Jimmy’s astounding photographs and his keen insight into the power of this tradition that he proudly upholds suggests that, while unlikely ever to be a dominant form of religious expression, it will continue as perhaps America’s most unique form of religion that persists in Appalachia despite laws against the practice of handling serpents.
This is an extraordinary personal account of a unique form of religious devotion and dedication. It will be of interest to anyone interested in Appalachian culture or religion in the South.

Jimmy Morrow is a native Appalachian, pastor, and long-time serpent handler. He has collected extensive oral histories of serpent handling that allows the history or serpent handling to be explored without the sensationalism of newspaper accounts. Jimmy continues to handle and to preach at his church in Del-Rio, Tennessee.

Ralph W. Hood, Jr., holds a joint doctorate in Sociology and Psychology. His major interest is psychology of religion. He has published over 200 articles and book chapters as well as authored, co-authored, or edited 7 books. He is a past president of the division of psychology of religion of the American Psychological Association and a recipient of its William James Award. He is a founding co-editor of the International Journal for the Psychology of Religion and a past editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. He is currently a co-editor of the Archiv für Religionspsychogie.

Titles of Related Interest

Taking up Serpents: A History of Snake Handling

From a Race of Storytellers: The Ballad Novels of Sharyn McCrumb

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