Theistic Satanism
Theistic Satanism, otherwise referred to as spiritual Satanism, or devil worship, is one of two manifestations of Satanism, in contrast to nontheistic Satanism. It is an umbrella term for religious groups that consider Satan to objectively exist as a deity, supernatural entity, or spiritual being worthy of worship or reverence, whom individuals may believe in, contact, and convene with, in contrast to the atheistic archetype, metaphor, or symbol found in LaVeyan Satanism.
Organizations who uphold theistic Satanist beliefs most often have few adherents, are loosely affiliated or constitute themselves as independent groups and cabals, which have largely self-marginalized. Another prominent characteristic of theistic Satanism is the use of various types of magic. Most theistic Satanist groups exist in relatively new models and ideologies, many of which are independent of the Abrahamic religions.
In addition to the worship of Satan or the Devil in the Abrahamic sense, religious traditions based on the worship of other "adversarial" gods—usually borrowed from pre-Christian polytheistic religions—are often included within theistic Satanism. Theistic Satanist organizations may incorporate beliefs and practices borrowed from Gnosticism, Hermeticism, neopaganism, New Age, the left-hand path, black magic, ceremonial magic, Western esotericism, occult traditions, and sorcery.
Satan
Satan is an entity in Abrahamic religions who entices humans into sin or falsehood. He is usually depicted as the embodiment of evil. In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or 'evil inclination'. In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as a fallen angel or jinn who has rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him temporary power over the fallen world and a host of demons.Devil in Christianity
A large percentage of theistic Satanists worship Satan conceived as the Devil in the Christian religion. In Christianity, the Devil, also known as Satan or Lucifer, is the personification of evil and author of sin, who rebelled against God in an attempt to become equal to God himself. He is depicted as a fallen angel, who was expelled from Heaven at the beginning of time, before God created the material world, and is in constant opposition to God.The Devil is described and depicted as being perfect in beauty. He was so enamored with his own beauty and self, that he became vain, and so prideful that he corrupted himself and began to desire the same honor and glory that belonged to God. Eventually he rebelled and tried to overthrow God, and as a result was cast out of heaven. Satan is also portrayed as a father to his daughter, Sin, by the 17th-century English poet John Milton in Paradise Lost.
Overview of theistic Satanism
Since the first half of the 1990s, the Internet has increased the interaction, visibility, communication, and spread of different currents and beliefs among self-identified Satanists and has led to the propagation of more conflicting and diverse groups, but Satanism has always been a heterogeneous, pluralistic, decentralized religious movement and "cultic milieu". Religion academics, scholars of New religious movements, and sociologists of religion focused on Satanism have sought to study it by categorizing its currents according to whether they are esoteric/theistic or rationalist/atheistic, and they referred to the practice of working with a literal Satan as theistic or "traditional" Satanism. It is generally a prerequisite to being considered a theistic Satanist that the believer accepts a theological and metaphysical canon which involves one or more gods that are either considered to be Satan in the strictest, Abrahamic sense, or a conception of Satan that incorporates "adversarial" gods usually borrowed from pre-Christian polytheistic religions, such as Ahriman or Enki. Despite the number of self-professed theistic Satanists constantly increasing since the 1990s, they are considered by most scholars of religion to be a minority group within Satanism.Many theistic Satanists believe that their own individualized concepts are based on pieces of all of these diverse conceptions of Satan, according to their inclinations and sources of spiritual guidance, rather than only believing in one suggested interpretation. Some may choose to live out the myths and stereotypes, but Christianity is not always the primary frame of reference for theistic Satanists. Their religion may be based on Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Neo-Paganism, New Age, the left-hand path, black magic, ceremonial magic, Crowleyan magick, Western esotericism, occult traditions, and sorcery. Theistic Satanists who base their faith on Christian ideas about Satan are referred to as "Diabolists", although they are also referred to as "reverse Christians" by other Satanists, often in a pejorative fashion. However, those labelled by some as "reverse Christians" may see their concept of Satan as undiluted or unsanitized. They worship a stricter interpretation of Satan: that of the Satan featured in the Christian Bible. Peter H. Gilmore, current leader of the atheistic Church of Satan, considers "Devil-worship" to be a Christian heresy, that is, a divergent form of Christianity. The diversity of individual beliefs within theistic Satanism, while being a cause for intense debates within the religion, is also often seen as a reflection of Satan, who is believed to encourage individualism.
Recent and contemporary theistic Satanism
Currents
The diversity of beliefs amongst Satanists, both theistic and non-theistic, was examined in a demographic survey conducted in 2001 by the American religion scholar and sociologist of religion James R. Lewis and subsequently published in the Marburg Journal of Religion. According to the survey, the statistically average demographic and ideological profile of a Satanist is an unmarried White male raised as a Christian who began to explore other religions during his teenage years, upholds non-theistic humanism and practices magic. A 2016 survey found that most self-identified Satanists were located in Denmark, Norway, and the United States.Pre-LaVey
Ruben van Luijk writes "there are a few well-documented cases of Satanist organizations that antedate or are contemporary with LaVey's", and which may qualify as examples of theistic Satanism.Citing research by Per Faxneld, van Luijk writes there were "two possible cases" in Europe of "isolated religious Satanism, both dating from the very end of the nineteenth and the threshold of the twentieth century". One example was a small group led by Polish writer Stanisław Przybyszewski, who, "Faxneld argues developed a more or less coherent philosophy or spirituality in which Satan played a major symbolic role, amounting to 'what is likely the first attempt ever to construct a more or less systematic Satanism.'" The other example was the Danish writer Carl William Hansen, also known as Ben Kadosh. In the census of 1906, Hansen "declared himself a Luciferian by religion, making himself without doubt the first officially registered Satanist in history". That same year Hansen published a short booklet titled "Den ny morgens gry: erdensbygmesterens genkomst", of which van Luijk writes: "in which he announced the establishment of a cult of Satan/Lucifer and proposed the formation of a Masonic Luciferian organization."
There were, according to van Luijk, several other organizations might be considered examples of theistic Satanism from the early to mid-20th Century. The Fraternitas Saturni, founded in 1926 and led by Eugen Grosche, referenced both Lucifer and Satan in their rites. Another group was the Order of the Knights of the Golden Arrow, founded in Paris in 1930 by Maria de Naglowska. She declared herself a "Priestess of Satan” and spoke of the “Truth of the Wholesome Satanic Doctrine" and according to van Luijk her group can "arguably be considered the first known organized body of religious Satanism." However, van Luijk also notes "Satanism was only one component of her religious system, which could probably best be described as an intricate semi-Hegelian compound of Christian, occultist, and Satanist elements". Aleister Crowley also explored Satanic themes in his own system and was an influence on many later occultists, but "cannot be called a Satanist himself" given the relatively small place Satan played in Crowley's overall concept.
Apart from these earlier cases the first recognized esoteric, non-LaVeyan Satanist organization was the small group Our Lady of Endor Coven, which claimed to have been founded in 1948 by Herbert Arthur Sloane and therefore to allegedly precede the foundation of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan. However, definitive proof the Coven's existence does not exist before 1966; van Luijk allows the group probably existed before that year but likely not before 1953. Their doctrine relied on a Gnostic conception of Satan as the liberating serpent and bestower of knowledge to humankind opposed to the malevolent demiurge or creator god, mainly inspired by the Gnostic dualistic cosmology of the Ophites, Hans Jonas' study on the history of Gnosticism, and the writings of Margaret Murray on the witch-cult hypothesis. "Our Lady of Endor Coven" seems to have been the only existing coven of this Satanist organization, which was disbanded shortly after the death of its founder during the 1980s.
Additionally, van Luijk argues the Process Church of the Final Judgement might classify as theistic Satanism, but "it is not altogether clear when precisely Satan and Lucifer made their appearance in Process theology" before the concepts were promoted openly in 1967; the concepts might have been influenced by LeVey or developed independently.