Books like The Devil's party by Per Faxneld

Recent scholarship has shifted toward an anthropological and historical examination of new religious movements, yet self‑declared Satanism has remained under‑studied. "The Devil’s Party" reverses this trend with twelve essays that treat modern Satanism as a lived religion and lifestyle. The contributors survey its origins—from early literary Satanists such as William Blake and Percy Shelley to the 1960s Californian Church of Satan—and chart its radical evolution over the past decades. Topics include conversion practices, links to political violence, decadent expressions of 19th‑century Satanism, transgression, conspiracy theories, and the construction of Satanic scripture. Employing a range of methods—statistical surveys, ethnographic fieldwork, philological studies of the Satanic Bible, contextual literary analysis, and close readings of obscure historical documents—the volume offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary perspective on Satanic disciples. It is an essential reference for scholars and anyone interested in understanding Satanism as a philosophical or religious stance of alterity.

First publish date: 2013