What Is Modern Satanism? A Historical and Religious Studies Overview
Modern Satanism is a modern religious and philosophical movement that developed in the mid-20th century. Unlike medieval legends of devil worship, modern Satanism has documented origins, identifiable founders, and distinct branches including atheistic and theistic forms. Understanding modern Satanism requires examining its historical development, core beliefs, and how scholars classify it today.
Scholars of new religious movements consistently emphasize that modern Satanism must be understood as a modern construction shaped by Western esotericism, Romantic literature, individualism, and post-Enlightenment secular thought.
Understanding modern Satanism requires distinguishing between its major forms and tracing its documented development.
The Emergence of Organized Satanism (1966 and After)
The public beginning of modern Satanism is typically dated to 1966, when Anton Szandor LaVey founded the Church of Satan in San Francisco. That year was declared “Year One, Anno Satanas,” marking the formal establishment of a self-identified Satanic religion.
LaVey’s The Satanic Bible (1969) articulated a non-theistic, materialist philosophy in which Satan functions as a symbol of individualism, self-interest, carnality, and opposition to Christian moral constraints. LaVeyan Satanism rejected belief in a literal supernatural Satan and instead framed ritual as psychodramatic expression (LaVey, 1969).
Religious studies scholar Jesper Aagaard Petersen describes this early phase as “rationalist Satanism,” rooted in atheism and influenced by Social Darwinism, Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, and occult aesthetics (Petersen, 2009).
This marks the first documented, organized Satanic religion in modern history.
The Development of Theistic Satanism
While LaVeyan Satanism defined itself as atheistic, other groups and individuals began developing spiritual interpretations of Satan in the 1970s and 1980s.
Theistic Satanism refers to movements that regard Satan as a real metaphysical entity or spiritual intelligence. Unlike LaVey’s symbolic approach, theistic practitioners may engage in devotional practice, prayer, ritual offerings, and personal gnosis.
Scholars note that theistic Satanism is decentralized and diverse. It draws from:
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Western ceremonial magic traditions
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Romantic literary portrayals of Satan as liberator
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Occult revival movements of the 19th and 20th centuries
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Personal mystical experiences
Per Faxneld (2017) argues that modern theistic Satanism often reinterprets Satan as a figure of liberation, knowledge, or spiritual rebellion, rather than evil in a Christian theological sense.
There is no single doctrine or centralized authority in theistic Satanism. It exists as networks of practitioners rather than formal institutions.
Luciferianism and Adjacent Currents
Luciferianism overlaps with Satanism but is often distinguished by emphasis on enlightenment rather than adversarial rebellion.
In Luciferian frameworks, Lucifer is interpreted as a bringer of light, knowledge, and self-deification. Scholars such as Faxneld and Petersen categorize Luciferianism as part of the broader Left-Hand Path tradition, which emphasizes individual spiritual autonomy and self-directed initiation.
Some Luciferians identify as Satanists; others reject the label.
Similarly, Demonolatry—veneration of specific demonic entities—developed as a distinct devotional practice within modern occultism. Contemporary Demonolatry has documented systems, liturgical structures, and published manuals (Connolly, 2006), and is treated in academic literature as a form of contemporary esoteric religion rather than criminal cult activity.
The Role of Romanticism and Literature
Modern Satanism did not arise from medieval devil worship cults—an idea widely dismissed by historians (Dyrendal, Lewis & Petersen, 2016).
Instead, it draws heavily from:
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John Milton’s Paradise Lost
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Romantic reinterpretations of Satan as tragic hero
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19th-century occult revival movements
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Anti-authoritarian and secular humanist philosophy
The Romantic Satan of Milton, Shelley, and Blake reframed Satan as a symbol of defiance and intellectual independence. This literary influence profoundly shaped later symbolic Satanism.
Religious historian Ruben van Luijk (2016) emphasizes that modern Satanism is best understood as a product of literary imagination and modern religious innovation—not as survival of a historical underground tradition.
The Satanic Panic and Public Misconception
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the United States experienced what sociologists describe as a “moral panic” regarding alleged Satanic ritual abuse.
Extensive investigations and court cases produced no verified evidence of organized Satanic crime networks. Sociologists and legal scholars later documented the panic as a case study in mass hysteria, media amplification, and false memory phenomena (Victor, 1993; Richardson, Best & Bromley, 1991).
This period significantly shaped public misunderstanding of Satanism, conflating symbolic religious movements with criminal conspiracy theories.
Academic consensus today distinguishes clearly between modern Satanic religions and criminal activity.
Core Characteristics of Modern Satanism
Despite diversity, scholars identify several recurring themes across modern Satanic movements:
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Individual sovereignty
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Rejection of external moral authority
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Symbolic inversion of Christian imagery
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Emphasis on personal responsibility
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Self-development and self-deification (especially in Left-Hand Path systems)
Importantly, modern Satanism is decentralized. There is no universal scripture, hierarchy, or governing authority.
It is a modern religious innovation shaped by secularization, literary reinterpretation, and Western esoteric currents.
Conclusion
Modern Satanism is neither a medieval cult nor a unified religion.
It is a contemporary religious and philosophical category encompassing atheistic symbolism, theistic devotion, Luciferian spirituality, and demonological practice.
Understanding it requires historical literacy and academic context.
Without that context, discussion collapses into stereotype.
With it, modern Satanism can be examined as what scholars classify it as: a modern new religious movement rooted in Western intellectual history.
References
Connolly, S. (2006). The Complete Book of Demonolatry. DB Publishing.
Dyrendal, A., Lewis, J. R., & Petersen, J. A. (2016). The Invention of Satanism. Oxford University Press.
Faxneld, P. (2017). Satanic Feminism: Lucifer as the Liberator of Woman in Nineteenth-Century Culture. Oxford University Press.
LaVey, A. S. (1969). The Satanic Bible. Avon Books.
Petersen, J. A. (Ed.). (2009). Contemporary Religious Satanism: A Critical Anthology. Ashgate.
Richardson, J., Best, J., & Bromley, D. (1991). The Satanism Scare. Aldine de Gruyter.
van Luijk, R. (2016). Children of Lucifer: The Origins of Modern Religious Satanism. Oxford University Press.
Victor, J. S. (1993). Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend. Open Court.
