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Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism
Children of Lucifer: The Origins of Modern Religious Satanism
If we are to believe sensationalist media coverage, Satanism is, at its most benign, the purview of people who dress in black, adorn themselves with skull and pentagram paraphernalia, and listen to heavy metal. At its most sinister, its adherents are worshippers of evil incarnate and engage in violent and perverse secret rituals, the details of which mainstream society imagines with a fascination verging on the obscene. Children of Lucifer debunks these facile characterizations by exploring the historical origins of modern Satanism. Ruben van Luijk traces the movement's development from a concept invented by a Christian church eager to demonize its internal and external competitors to a positive (anti-)religious identity embraced by various groups in the modern West.
Van Luijk offers a comprehensive intellectual history of this long and unpredictable trajectory. This story involves Romantic poets, radical anarchists, eccentric esotericists, Decadent writers, and schismatic exorcists, among others, and culminates in the establishment of the Church of Satan by carnival entertainer Anton Szandor LaVey. Yet it is more than a collection of colorful characters and unlikely historical episodes. The emergence of new attitudes toward Satan proves to be intimately linked to the ideological struggle for emancipation that transformed the West and is epitomized by the American and French Revolutions. It is also closely connected to secularization, that other exceptional historical process which saw Western culture spontaneously renounce its traditional gods and enter into a self-imposed state of religious indecision.
Children of Lucifer makes the case that the emergence of Satanism presents a shadow history of the evolution of modern civilization as we know it. Offering the most comprehensive account of this history yet written, van Luijk proves that, in the case of Satanism, the facts are much more interesting than the fiction.
Van Luijk offers a comprehensive intellectual history of this long and unpredictable trajectory. This story involves Romantic poets, radical anarchists, eccentric esotericists, Decadent writers, and schismatic exorcists, among others, and culminates in the establishment of the Church of Satan by carnival entertainer Anton Szandor LaVey. Yet it is more than a collection of colorful characters and unlikely historical episodes. The emergence of new attitudes toward Satan proves to be intimately linked to the ideological struggle for emancipation that transformed the West and is epitomized by the American and French Revolutions. It is also closely connected to secularization, that other exceptional historical process which saw Western culture spontaneously renounce its traditional gods and enter into a self-imposed state of religious indecision.
Children of Lucifer makes the case that the emergence of Satanism presents a shadow history of the evolution of modern civilization as we know it. Offering the most comprehensive account of this history yet written, van Luijk proves that, in the case of Satanism, the facts are much more interesting than the fiction.
632 pages, Hardcover
Published June 1, 2016
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June 5, 2018Exactly what I wanted--a clear-eyed, hysteria-free, scholarly history of Satanism, stretching from its roots as an appellation for Christian heretics and up through the death of LaVey, and covering pretty much everything in between (the witchcraft trials, Milton, the romantic and decadent poets, freemasonry, the French occultists, Crowley, the Satanic panic, black metal, etc.). Even one of my all-time favorite weirdos, the Reverend Montague Summers, got a decent write-up here. Going beyond the Satanism angle, I think there's a lot here too for people interested in the links between art and political movements, as well as the psychology of believers in conspiracy theories. Unreservedly recommended.
November 24, 2017
Children of Lucifer is everything I hoped it would be. Thorough, intelligent, calm. He makes no claims about subjective religious experience or whether the paranormal exists, he sticks to historical narrative. Speaking as a historian, his writing is magnificent. It’s perfectly clear without ever being dry, and he doesn’t pretend he has no personality or that there’s no humor in the topic. Whether it be queer/sexual history or other fringe topics like this, writers seem bent on making it as boring as possible in a bid for respectability. Luijk maintains professionalism, certainly, but he actually seems interested in his own topic, so it’s interesting for the reader too. That tone means I’m happy to recommend it for academics and a general audience, as long as you’ve got a little time.
Full review/recap: https://hannahgivens.wordpress.com/20...
Full review/recap: https://hannahgivens.wordpress.com/20...
March 29, 2018
Despite the eye-catching title and cover, this is a balanced and scholarly study of Satanism. Van Luijk’s historical research is breath-taking in its scope (perhaps a little too detailed for the casual reader), and certainly of little interest to anyone looking for cheap thrills. The author grounds the study with an overview of black magic practices that might have been around (but probably weren't) before the 19th century, setting the reader up nicely for a thorough investigation into Satanism in the 19th century and beyond.
He explains how Satan functioned symbolically for many 19th century poets such as Blake and Byron, as a reaction against Christian dogma and conservatism, and representative of human liberty and creativity. Even the more extreme figures of the 20th century such as Anton LaVey and his Church of Satan seemed to be more invested in Satan as a metaphor for individualism and ‘otherness’ rather than as a real supernatural being who could be conjured up in bizarre ceremonies. As Van Luijk explains, it is reductive and unhelpful to categorise any religion as ‘good’ or ‘evil’. There are far more grey areas than black and white ones.
I found the material on the so-called Affair of the Poisons and decadent writer JK Huysmans particularly interesting. Van Luijk takes nothing on trust, and his research suggests that, for example, it’s unlikely Huysmans ever attended a Black Mass of the kind described so vividly in ‘La Bas’. Although the author debunks much of the material suggesting that actual devil worship occurred on a large scale (or on any scale at all) before the 20th century (and not much of it even then of the lurid type found in pulp fiction), he is entirely objective in his approach when it comes to interpreting extant primary and secondary sources. The Satanism that emerges from these pages is not the virgin-sacrificing variety beloved of hysterical Sunday tabloids. Rather, it is a more prosaic affair, as various as its (alleged) practitioners and with much the same flaws (and, arguably, strengths) as more ‘respectable’ religions.
He explains how Satan functioned symbolically for many 19th century poets such as Blake and Byron, as a reaction against Christian dogma and conservatism, and representative of human liberty and creativity. Even the more extreme figures of the 20th century such as Anton LaVey and his Church of Satan seemed to be more invested in Satan as a metaphor for individualism and ‘otherness’ rather than as a real supernatural being who could be conjured up in bizarre ceremonies. As Van Luijk explains, it is reductive and unhelpful to categorise any religion as ‘good’ or ‘evil’. There are far more grey areas than black and white ones.
I found the material on the so-called Affair of the Poisons and decadent writer JK Huysmans particularly interesting. Van Luijk takes nothing on trust, and his research suggests that, for example, it’s unlikely Huysmans ever attended a Black Mass of the kind described so vividly in ‘La Bas’. Although the author debunks much of the material suggesting that actual devil worship occurred on a large scale (or on any scale at all) before the 20th century (and not much of it even then of the lurid type found in pulp fiction), he is entirely objective in his approach when it comes to interpreting extant primary and secondary sources. The Satanism that emerges from these pages is not the virgin-sacrificing variety beloved of hysterical Sunday tabloids. Rather, it is a more prosaic affair, as various as its (alleged) practitioners and with much the same flaws (and, arguably, strengths) as more ‘respectable’ religions.
February 23, 2021
A very thorough academic overview of how the concept of Satan-Lucifer-Devil has manifested in antonym social and religious movements over the past 200 or so years. Obviously most interesting during the periods of the rebellious romantics such as William Blake, Percy Shelly, Lord Byron and later Diabolic fin de siecle France. Well worth the read if you are interested in this specific topic or like me interested in research on antonymum social movements of resistance and rebellions.
November 6, 2021
An academic but quite readable history of Satanism, revealing that it was a tactic for Christians to (literally) demonize their competition, a metaphor used by rebellious poets and a very occasional spice for wild parties till the 1960s.
September 9, 2026
An absolut behemoth of a book, 600+ pages, with 200+ (!!) of those being notes. It's dense, it's well written and everything I hoped for.
Van Luijk makes a fabuloess trip though modern satanism, in a very academic tekst. It took me multiple months to read this beast, beacuase I had to focus on keeping my orientation. You will need some bagground knowledge on different satanic persons (That you can easily find in books like Per Faxneld: Satanism a Reader), to understand most of these things. The book does not hold your hand, and that's a good thing - you just have to know it before you start reading.
Children of Lucifer is an amazing achievement for the scholarly study of satanism, that I can recommend easily to anyone serious in learning more about the ideer of 'Satanism'. On of my easiest 5/5 stars!
Van Luijk makes a fabuloess trip though modern satanism, in a very academic tekst. It took me multiple months to read this beast, beacuase I had to focus on keeping my orientation. You will need some bagground knowledge on different satanic persons (That you can easily find in books like Per Faxneld: Satanism a Reader), to understand most of these things. The book does not hold your hand, and that's a good thing - you just have to know it before you start reading.
Children of Lucifer is an amazing achievement for the scholarly study of satanism, that I can recommend easily to anyone serious in learning more about the ideer of 'Satanism'. On of my easiest 5/5 stars!
April 21, 2023
It's a very thick book. Alot of history and reliable sources and the author I think did a great job remaining neutral and unbiased throughout the book but I feel too much of happenings and focus was in France. A lot of French words being dropped here and there and no translations. Had to look up these words. The book makes it seem like France was the hotbed or birth of satanism and occultism. UK as well. There were numerous of occultist writers and he goes into great details of their associations with so much detail, you'd get overwhelmed and tired of hearing about these guys. This book is thick, it's worth the money.
May 14, 2020
I respect the research but the book should have been called a satanic skeptic...he talked as if he is immortal...he was not living back in those times of early satanism yet he talks as if none of its true...how the fuck does he know he wasnt alive...people have always been monsters yey he think that people wasn't killing people in the name of satan in the early days...he definitely dont know people
June 19, 2025
3.5 stars
(Review will contain a lot of grammar errors, as this is not my native language).
Really liked the dive into literary/romantic satanism, but didn't feel as closely about some of the other aspects (specially freemasonry). Still, for an academic point of view (and even a religious point of view, as someone who find great interest in witchcraft and satanism) I was able to learn a lot, and to think a lot about faith as well.
(Review will contain a lot of grammar errors, as this is not my native language).
Really liked the dive into literary/romantic satanism, but didn't feel as closely about some of the other aspects (specially freemasonry). Still, for an academic point of view (and even a religious point of view, as someone who find great interest in witchcraft and satanism) I was able to learn a lot, and to think a lot about faith as well.
November 13, 2019
An excellent history. Recommended.
February 25, 2026
A historical account of the rise of modern Satanism. It is an academic dissertation and a third of the book's nearly 600 pages consists of endnotes. At times the text is very academic and heavy, but overall it is surprisingly easy to read and exciting. It becomes a kind of historical exposé on the eccentric margins of Christianity and occultism. During the journey we meet Gnostics, witches, poisoners, revolutionaries, con artists, romantic poets, decadent philosophers, perverted Catholic priests, Freemasons, occult detectives, etc. And in the end maybe even a bunch of genuine Satanists, maybe? It is fascinating and very educational.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews