Satanism

by Joseph P. Laycock

What is Satanism? The word has functioned as a powerful indictment of one's rivals, an expression of rebellion against authority, and sometimes to describe the deliberate worship of dark, supernatural forces. This Element provides a concise overview of Satanism from its origins in early modern Europe through the present. It covers such topics as legends of the black mass, hell-fire clubs, the Romantic Satanism of Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, and nineteenth-century occultists who expressed reverence for Satan. It describes modern Satanic religions including the Church of Satan, The Temple of Set, The Order of Nine Angles, The Satanic Temple, and others. It also addresses contemporary Satanic Panic from the 1980s through QAnon. This Element should prove useful to anyone seeking to learn more about this complicated and frequently misunderstood tradition.

Genres: Religion

82 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 7, 2024

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to Satanism and the history from the imagining of Satanism to the rise of actual Satanism. It's a short, readable book, and part of all of it would work well in a class like mine, History of Satan. I'm considering creating a primary source reader to go with this.

I would have liked the chapters on CoS, TST, and ToS to be longer.

SEE ALSO LAYCOCK'S OTHER FANTASTIC BOOK: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL (a sort of history & analysis of The Satanic Temple, with a fantastic chapter on trolling and the category of religion).

[Matt Ludlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where his previous novel, Speak Of The Devil, goes over a broad stroke of current Satanism and how it impacts the fight for separation of church and state to a look at Satanism from the generations under a microscope. An extremely recommended read and also a great way to understand this newly found religion and activism is trying to help correct the wrongs that is happening currently in our country.