Despite the fascinating nature of religious Satanism, it has attracted little scholarship until relatively recently. This book brings together a group of international scholars to produce the first serious book-length study of religious Satanism, presenting a collection that will have wide appeal to specialists and non-specialists alike. The first part contains broader studies of influential groups and important aspects of the Satanic milieu, especially regarding historical developments, the construction of tradition and issues of legitimacy. The second part narrows the view to regional variations, especially with studies on Northern and Eastern Europe. The third part consists of primary documents selected for their representational and informational value.

Contents: Introduction: embracing Satan, Jesper Aagaard Petersen; Part I Broader Studies: History, Tradition, Legitimacy: Satanism: performing alterity and othering, Graham Harvey; Infernal legitimacy, James R. Lewis; Darkness within: Satanism as a self-religion, Asbjÿrn Dyrendal; Self-conscious routinization and the post-charismatic fate of the church of Satan from 1997 to the present, Maxwell Davies; Embracing others: the multiple Princes of Darkness in the left hand path milieu, Kenneth Granholm; The devil's down in Dixie: studying Satanism in south Georgia, Kathleen Lowney. Part II Regional Studies: The peculiarities of Lithuanian Satanism: between crime and atheism in cyberspace, Milda Alisauskiene; Satanism in Estonia, Ringo Ringvee; Cyber-Satanism and imagined Satanism: dark symptoms of late modernity, Rafal Smoczynski; Social democratic Satanism? Some examples of Satanism in Scandinavia, Didrik Sÿderlind and Asbjÿrn Dyrendal; With my art I am the fist in the face of God': on old-school black metal, Gry Mÿrk; Italian martyrs of 'Satanism': Sister Maria Laura Mainetti and Father Giorgio Govoni, Andrea Menegotto; Speculating on the point 003 percent? Some remarks on the chaotic Satanic minorities in the UK, Dave Evans. Part III Primary Documents: Reflections on Satanism, Vexen Crabtree; Excerpt from Lords of the Left Hand Path: a history of spiritual dissent, Stephen E. Flowers; Dark doctrines: 2 examples, Tani Jantsang; The Satanic politic, Nathan Wardinski; The culture cult, Ole Wolf; Index.