Mercury Seven with Signs Following

Item sets: The Sphex Club Papers; Jones Memorial Library Manuscripts Collection

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Identifier: JML.MS1133.Rowland.2025
Barcode: JML.MS1133.Rowland.2025
Title: Mercury Seven with Signs Following
Description: Text of a lecture delivered to the Sphex Club in Lynchburg. On February 6, 2025, Ott Rowlands presented on the theatrical and religious themes behind two plays exploring Appalachian snake handling. Blending history, faith, and personal narrative, the talk traced the origins of the practice, its biblical justification, and cultural symbolism. Rowlands examined both sociological and artistic portrayals, offering insight into the endurance of ritual, belief, and rural religious expression.
Date: 6 February 0025
Creator: Rowland, Sue Ott
Subject: Snakes -- handling; Appalachia
topic: Rowland, Sue Ott; talk; lecture; SPHEX Club; Ott Rowlands; Rowlands; 02/06/2025; snake handling; Appalachian churches; Pentecostal rituals; faith practices; George Went Hensley; serpent symbolism; religious drama; Sand Mountain; experimental theater; Dennis Covington; Glenn Summerford; rural spirituality
Location: Lynchburg, Va.
Digital Format: pdf
Language: English
Publisher: George M. Jones Library Association
Repository: George M. Jones Library Association
Rights: Rowland, Sue Ott; George M. Jones Library Association
Rights Holder: Rowland, Sue Ott; George M. Jones Library Association