Horror Illusion discussion

How do you guys feel about Satanic/demonic/occult themes in your horror books? I'm not talking about conflicted stufmuffin demons that fall in love with angels or mortals or sharp-tongued Devils that prance around in Victorian-era suits... I'm talking about straight from the pits of Hell, blacker-than-black classic Biblical Satanism. Like The Exorcist or Dracula, for example. Books where the horrific Satanic themes are clearly evil, and the real suspense comes in finding out whether the light is strong enough to overcome the darkness.

Is this kind of evil too obvious and heavy-handed, or does it make for ultra-dramatic plots and bone-chilling baddies?

the best kind of horror in my opinion.

I'm with Brian Mcnaughton on this one: christian religious tropes tend to be too easy as having been raised in the West, I know what what to expect. Dracula I categorize a bit differently as the religious element was a basis for a curse, but not the inspiration or the entire plot/characterization. Mcnaughton pointed out the entertainment value of Milton's Satan, and I would add that Marryat's 'Father Matthias' becomes rather effective in 'The Phantom Ship' (after a deceptive first appearance), but I prefer the appeal to more otherworldy, and more ambiguous/cunning 'entites' (if just as unrealistic)...oh, here's Brian M. to say it himself in an introduction: http://www.mattcardin.com/intro.html