{"product_id":"the-serpent-and-the-spirit-thomas-g-burton-9781572332461","title":"The Serpent And The Spirit: Glenn Summerford's Story","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"A snake handler convicted of the attempted murder of his wife by means of serpent bite is serving ninety-nine years in prison. The reader is gradually pulled into an increasingly complex story as Thomas Burton allows the many individuals involved in this event to tell their stories. Readers are less likely to find themselves concerned with what \"really\" happened than with larger issues they too will become involved in. this is more than a story about the headline 'preacher tries to murder wife - with rattlesnakes \" it is a story of individuals struggling with their faith and their fate under the steady gaze of their God.\" --Ralph W. Hood Jr., winner of the American Psychological Association's William James Award in the psychology of religion \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this comprehensive, multilayered set of narratives, the story of Glenn Summerford's fall from grace is told by its participants, through interviews, court documents, and other primary sources. Free of either prejudice against or romanticizing about the snake-handling Holiness religion, this book presents an absorbing story of a fascinating group of people, while allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions about Summerford's guilt or innocence. The Serpent and the Spirit is a startling commentary on truth and its representation, religion and its expression, humanity and its flaws. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThomas Burton is professor emeritus of English at East Tennessee State University. He is the winner of the Appalachian Consortium Laurel Leaves Award.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Thomas G. Burton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1572332468\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781572332461\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Tennessee Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/04\/2004\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.84lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.98h x 6.02w x 0.62d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/01\/2004 pg. 144","brand":"Thomas G. Burton","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46617927319807,"sku":"9781572332461","price":26.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_649b554c-2760-4b1d-b930-8f21c550bec7.jpg?v=1740068710","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-serpent-and-the-spirit-thomas-g-burton-9781572332461","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}