Abstract
Satanism is not a subject that receives a large amount of scholarly attention. The Devil’s Party is an attempt to rectify this through publishing twelve essay by a diverse range of authors on various aspects of Satanism, past and present. The essays are divided into four thematic groups of three.
The first theme is that of Satanism before the twentieth century and its promotion as a creed by Anton LaVey. The first of these essays is by Mikael Häll and deals with Satanism in Sweden in the early modern period (1600-1800). Häll argues persuasively that Satanists did exist in Sweden in this era, but not in the sense of an organized group. Some outcasts on the margins of society, such as bandits, declared themselves followers of Satan (whom they saw as more of a Nordic forest spirit than a fallen angel) as part of their general defiance of society’s laws. Ruben van Luijk’s contribution deals with Satanism in nineteenth century culture, particularly Romanticism. Luijk concludes that while some Romantics such as Blake frequently appeal to Satan, it is more in the sense of a symbol of sexual, scientific, and political liberation, and not with a detailed Satanic cosmology or ideology in mind. Finally, Per Faxneld’s own essay discusses the work of the Decadent Polish author Stanislaw Przybyszewski, arguing that he alone among nineteenth century ‘Satanists’ did have a coherent system in mind for Satanism (a form of social Darwinism), and that Przybyszewki’s high estimation of ‘demonic’ traits should be borne in mind when reading his apparently deeply misogynistic writings on women.
The second trio of essays is based around the work of Anton LaVey, the ‘Black Pope’ of the Church of Satan. Amina Lap’s essay compares LaVey’s early writings on Satanism to the ‘world-affirming’ wing of the milieu of self-spirituality literature. Eugene V. Gallagher’s essay discusses LaVey’s plagiarism from the earlier, anonymously-written text Might is Right and defends the essential originality and creativity of LaVey’s thought, comparing his treatment of Might is Right to that of New Testament redactors such as Matthew or Luke. Finally, Asbjørn Dyrendall’s contribution discusses LaVey’s relationship with conspiracy theory culture, arguing that LaVey’s tongue-in-cheek tone allows him to both embrace certain aspects of conspiracy theory while rejecting others.
The third trio of essays is based around the Satanic milieu in the present day. James R. Lewis’ essay looks at conversion in Satanism and paganism, arguing that the increasingly Internet-based nature of these groups means that conversion is becoming less and less of a formal procedure of any kind. Jesper Petersen’s essay deals with transgression within Satanism, arguing that transgressions such as blasphemy are often used playfully, as a means of defining one’s own movement and acknowledging the general perception of Satanism in pop culture. Rafal Smoczynski’s contribution looks at Satanism in Poland, arguing that the moral panic of the post-Communist ‘90s caused a certain cohesion within Polish Satanism which is now beginning to fragment.
The final group of essays deals with ‘post-Satanic’ groups. Kennet Granholm’s essay describes the Temple of Set, arguing for their categorisation as a postsatanic group. Fredrik Gregorius’ contribution reviews Luciferian witchcraft and concludes that it harks back to the original, medieval conception of the witch in league with Satan but also uncritically adopts the Wiccan conception of Satan as a nature deity. Finally, Jacob C. Senholt’s essay deals with the ‘Traditional Satanist’ Order of Nine Angles and argues that the right-wing extremist David Myatt is the same person as the ONA leader Anton Long, and that Myatt’s involvement with both National Socialism and radical Islam are part of a long-term strategy on the ONA’s part.
The essays are wide-ranging in topic and provide an interesting impression of the field of scholarship on Satanism. Occasionally, the social sciences’ weakness for jargon overcomes some of the authors but on the whole, the essays are admirably lucid and coherent.