Serpent handling refers to a set of worship practices found in some Pentecostal congregations, primarily in the Appalachian region of the United States. These practices vary widely from church to church and are not uniform in how they are carried out or understood.

In services where serpent handling is present, worship may include singing, preaching, prayer, and testimony. In some churches, certain participants may handle venomous snakes during worship. In others, this does not occur, or occurs only in specific circumstances.

People who participate in these services often understand serpent handling through their reading of scripture and through the life of their congregation. Others outside these communities may encounter the practice through media or outside observation, which can shape very different interpretations of what is taking place.

This archive does not offer a single definition of serpent handling. It collects materials from specific encounters and contexts, and it treats meaning as something that varies across people and places.