Modern Satanism: Anatomy of a Radical Subculture

by Chris Mathews

In 1966, Anton LaVey introduced to the world the Church of Satan, an atheistic religion devoted to the philosophy of individualism and pitilessness often associated with Satan. Modern Satanism offers a comprehensive survey and analysis of the church that LaVey built. Satanism has been an open religion for forty years now and operates successfully in its self-created countercultural niche. Given the provocative nature of its name, contemporary Satanism is only superficially understood as an alternative religion/ideology, and all-too-frequently seen as a medieval superstition and associated with rumors of obscure rituals, perverse hedonism, cult-like behavior, and tales of ritual abuse and murder. These may be misconceptions, but the truth behind the unenviable reputation is no less dramatic. Satanism generally eschews supernatural beliefs and embodies a staunchly individualistic, pitiless, anti-egalitarian creed. If there is anything fundamentally diabolical about modern Satanism, it stems more from the echoes of Nazism in its theories than from its horror-comic trappings.

Modern Satanism covers the history, ideology, personalities, and practices of the decentralized international movement that contemporary Satanism has become. The work addresses the various beliefs and practices espoused by those who follow the ideal of Satan as a rebellious emblem; Satanism's occult, literary, and philosophical influences; the history of the Church of Satan and other Satanic organizations; the ideology of Satanism; Satanism's frequent flirtations and strong parallels with neo-Nazism and other forms of extremism; Satanism in the media and popular culture; and the reasons for Satanism's continuing attractiveness to new converts. Though the tone of the work attempts to remain neutral when discussing historical matters, it is by necessity critical of the subculture's extremist rhetoric and recurring associations with the far right and racialist extremism.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy, History, Cultural Studies, Occult

275 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Matthew W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written by your typical liberal university instructor (which the author is). An individual that DOES NOT understand culture and biology but ONLY the social contract (AKA irrational human abstraction that always prove to be based on logical fallacies). The author no doubt has studied the main texts of LaVeyan Satanism as well as associated text, yet the author still does not understand the texts. He merely looks at the texts through a flimsy academic liberal lens and regurgitates the same arguments made by mass murderers like Leon Trotsky (someone the author would consider an altruist) about a century ago. Does the author know that Franz Boas, the man that basically invented the myth that all races are "equal", falsified his evidence? Furthermore, does the author of "Modern Satanism" realize that Boas would actually go on to influence Oswald Spengler (who according to the author is a "Nazi influence").

The only real value of this book is it is the only halfway decent history of LaVeyan Satanism written from the perspective of an outsider. This is a good book to checkout for an unauthorized history of the CoS as well as its more well known members. For anyone that has read everything related to LaVeyan Satanism and works written by its members, this book really has nothing new to offer.

The main argument of this book is "Social Darwinists and Ultra-Individualists are BAD, Altruists wuss-bags are good." The author clearly was never born with a pair of testicles. At least, that is what I am going to have to assume after reading his "we are the world" rhetoric.

Most of the arguments made in the book about White Nationalists and Satanists are merely Freudian projections typical of leftists (aka Cultural Marxists). The author has obviously never studied National Socialism and Fascism in an eclectic (and extensive) manner. The author also often likes to state opinions as fact (a very common "liberal" tactic). He also openly supports the manipulation of linguistics, something he accuses of his enemies. The author is the kind of person that thinks flooding already defective American cities with uneducated and unskilled third worlders as an act of "progress." Many times throughout "Modern Satanism" I could not help but laugh.

The author also had a hard time getting the names right of certain groups. For example, instead of "The Order of Nine Angles" he calls it "The Order of Nine Angels." For a professional, the author certainly has a hard time even getting simple names right.

I would give this book 2/5 stars if a better book from a similar perspective was written. For some reason, I doubt that will ever happen.

[Riley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worthless trash.

At first I thought this was an attempt at an evenhanded review of the subject, although superficial since it uses only secondary sources, But around pages 188-119 it became obvious the author either has an axe to grind or completely misunderstands the views of Anton LaVey. The author promotes the slander that LaVey's Satanism is pro-EVIL, which could not be farther from the truth. Mathews condemns LaVey for the supposed contradiction of being materialistic and atheistic, yet still believing in the supernatural. LaVey believed there are powers and forces that we do not yet understand, calling that supranormal. That is not the same as ignorant belief in religion and the supernatural. Much of the rest is the author, who has the underwhelming credit of an MA in Philosophy, making various philosophic quibbles with a strawman set up to represent LaVey.

[Edward Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book primarily focuses on Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan, from its initial creation, through the offshoots such as the Order of Set, and into the end of the life of LaVey. In regard to a low-level biography of LaVey, it was okay. Regarding the actual topics of modern Satanism; it lacks. The author tries hard to cram Satanic worship into a small, tightly sealed box and works to link it to both modern and neo-Naziism. I am sorry but last time I checked, the Nazi Party was primarily a Christian faith-based group and not Satanists in the least. Look up Reichskonkordat and Hitler's visits and relationship with Pope Pius the XII for more info on that.

It does however delve a lot into what Satan means to the big three religions and how he went from a consulting member of Yahweh's counsel to the all-encompassing evil of the world.

1.75 stars for the parts that don't talk about Neo-Nazi BS

[Kendall · Rating 2 out of 5]

More a history/opinion piece specifically on LaVeyan Satanism than Satanism in general. A better, more evidence based history of Satanism would be Children of Lucifer.

[b e a c h g o t h · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up to understand satanism... after all the Qanon conspiracy that satanic elites were running the world, I wanted to know what the eff being a “satanist” in today’s society meant. Because my mind could only imagine witches and big black pots of boiling frogs feet at midnight.
But I was disappointed.
The history on Anton LaVey was fascinating but still lacked something, ugh, I don’t know.
I guess it was obvious this author was removed from satanism itself, and was more a spectator, and I felt that come through in the writing.

[Connor]

Adopting a solid, albeit slightly snarky, scholarly tone, Matthews makes a deft analysis of the modern/LaVeyan satanist movement, cutting through the many layers of falsehood and self-aggrandizement upon which the movement is founded. In argument, he leans a little too heavily on the liberal democratic consensus for my tastes, and spends probably too much time engaging in philosophical debate with fascism, but the book overall does a good job of accomplishing its main purpose of illustrating the extent to which the libertarian trappings of the movement are a cover for an intellectually bankrupt social Darwinist worldview.

As an aside, the book is extremely 2009, for better or for worse. On the lighter side of things, there are many now somewhat comical references to Myspace as the premier social media network; more seriously, the book is interesting in light of the political developments of the 13 years since its publication, though I'd hardly call its subjects the direct precursors of anything substantial today.

[Moria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raised my hopes at the beginning, but the blaming tone in the final parts was a disappointment. The parts about Lovecraft and the heavy metal scene were too general and pretty much superficial. Nevertheless, taking into account the previous "researches" about Satanism I've read, the book was totally unprejudiced and accurate. A good beginning for anyone who wants to get to know something about modern Satanism.

[Servabo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The vast masses of humanity are the herd—a vast collection of apathetic, docile drones. A critical part of the psychology and attractiveness of Satanism is the desire to be special, to not be one of the crowd.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative book on Laveyan satanism and it’s right-libertarian social Darwinist tenets which the author disagrees with and attempts to tie to neo nazism.