Satanism in Modernity
Satanism has largely been neglected by academia. This volume, focused on modern Satanism as a practiced religion of lifestyle, provides 12 essays from the emerging field of Satanism studies. Topics include early literary Satanists (Blake and Shelley), LaVey’s Church of Satan in the 1960s, to the radical developments that have taken place in the Satanic milieu in recent decades. The contributors analyze such phenomena as conversion to Satanism, connections between Satanism and political violence, 19th-century decadent Satanism, transgression, conspiracy theory, and the construction of Satanic scripture. A wide array of methods are employed to shed light on the Devil’s disciples: statistical surveys, anthropological field studies, philological examination of The Satanic Bible, contextual analysis of literary texts, careful scrutiny of obscure historical records, and close readings of key Satanic writings.