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Preacher ain’t done ‘til the snakes are back in the box. The history, the venomous snakes and the pastors’ own stories by Rickard Ljunggren



We love to read.

We own a lot of books.

We also own an online bookshop. Handy right?!

But we realise that not everyone has spare money right now, and when you do, there are so many books to choose from and you don't want to waste your money. So, Scott and I thought we would do a monthly book review so our customers could find out a bit more information on a particular title and decide if it was for their shelves or not.  Well, this was my idea, Scott said it was a great idea and I suggested we take turns and he heartedly agreed. Scott’s two reviews and a year later, I’ve given up on the taking turns thing and have just decided to call them Tie’s book reviews.  

 

 

For March’s book review I thought I would share my views on: Preacher ain’t done ‘til the snakes are back in the box. The history, the venomous snakes and the pastors’ own stories by Rickard Ljunggren.

 



rPeacher ain’t done ‘til the snakes are back in the box. book by Rickard Ljimggren

 

This is the latest publication by Rickard Ljunggren (published February 2025). This 206 page softcover is about the Pentecostal churches in the southeastern United States that use venomous snakes during services. Preacher ain’t done ‘til the snakes are back in the box pulls from both media coverage and more importantly a couple of pastors who were willing to speak to Rickard about their faith, their beliefs and experiences. It has not been commonplace for quite some time for pastors to allow interviews as the media portrayed them all in a negative light years ago, and in most cases the snake catching and handling is illegal. This caused the churches to be united in the need for secrecy.  There are both black and white photographs alongside colour photographs.

 


Photos of a sermon taken in 1946 in Kentucky by Russell Lee



I absolutely love this subject and have done ever since I found out about it decades ago. So for me, the book was fantastic and I highly recommend it. In fact, I enjoyed it that much, the first time I read it, I forgot I was supposed to be proofing it, so had to read it again and proof it.

 

I realise this subject is not everyone’s cup of tea. People hear religion and that’s where they close off to the subject. Let me just say that Rickard’s efforts to be objective under significant pressure have been successful. He has just written what he has uncovered and spoken to pastors about. Everyone has a thought on this subject, so it would be hard to be objective, especially if you are not religious yourself and high school science taught us that some of the things spoken about in this book are just not possible.

 

I’m not religious at all, so the religious parts where bible bits(?)(Pretty sure that’s not the word) are quoted goes over my head. There isn’t much of that at all, but there are a few for impact quoted by the pastors. I can’t actually tell you what fascinates me on the subject. A tradition passed down in families for a long time? The blind faith? The snakes? The poison drunk on top of the risk of envenomation? Speaking in tongue? People doing what they consider normal, but the rest of the outside world thinking it is far from it? The ‘stories/accounts of bites’ – or the science that argues against the stories? The total disregard for law and continuing to do what the community believes in? The simplicity of life? The interaction with snakes? What comes across to those who don’t participate in these beliefs as disregard for life?



snake handling in a pentecostal church.
Photo of a 1946 sermon taken by Russell Lee.

 

I struggle with religion full stop. (Embarrassingly enough, I was 26 when I discovered (in a room full of people who had been forced to do religion in school for years – I never was) Jesus did not turn something into chocolate and that’s how we got Easter eggs. I did not live that down for years!) My head struggles with all the war, murder and ill feeling some religions have been responsible for over the centuries. My head cannot wrap itself over the fact that so many people act upon a book, believe in and talk to someone they cannot see, and live their lives a way a person that debatably lived says they should. This also extends in my mind to using live venomous snakes with children, teens, the elderly, pregnant mothers - people that were handling snakes with no knowledge of handling or snakebite effects.


Also included in the book are species accounts on the snakes that have been used in sermons over the years. These are written by a herper’s point of view, so it is refreshing to have the view in the book of someone who has the snakes welfare at the foremost of their mind. This shows by the way certain chapters have been written.

 



Broad-banded Copperheads,  Agkistrodon laticinctus have been used in sermons over the years.
Broad-banded Copperheads,  Agkistrodon laticinctus have been used in sermons over the years.

I have read and watched quite a few books and YouTube videos on the subject, so was pleasantly surprised in this book to find a few new things that I had not come across over the years, and along with this book, was able to add them to our shelves. Books on this subject are unfortunately going to be a topic of the past soon enough. The law, public speculation, the media pretty much promising pastors the world for their stories and then treating them like freak shows have pretty much sealed the fate for this practise. No one in the congregations speak to outsiders and attendance is getting lower and lower. If this subject fascinates you, or even mildly interests you I would recommend this book, as it may very well be the last book written on the subject with actual interviews.

 


Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes, Crotalus adamanteus have been used over the years for sermons. The side effects from a bite without medical treatment are horrendous.
Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes, Crotalus adamanteus have been used over the years for sermons. The side effects from a bite without medical treatment are horrendous.

 

 

 

If you are looking at getting yourself a copy of this fascinating read, the link is:  https://www.wildlifedemonstrations.com/product-page/preacher-ain-t-done-til-the-snakes-are-back-in-the-box

 

 

 

Cold-blooded Contributions Podcast Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095066316571


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