What are the beliefs that compel some to “take up the serpent” in their practice of religion? At a Brown Bag Lecture at the East Tennessee Historical Society, July 9, author Fred Brown will put a human face to these followers by focusing on three families as representative of those who take literally interpret the New Testament Scripture of Mark 16:17-18—the Browns of Tennessee, the Coots from Kentucky, and the Elkins of West Virginia. Brown has visited the churches and studied and written about the practice of serpent handling for several years. He and his wife Jeanne McDonald are co-authors of The Serpent Handlers: Three Families and Their Faith. The lecture is free and open to the public and will begin at noon at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville. Visitors are welcome to bring a lunch.