Books by Joseph Laycock
“So this book takes us up to the present day and today’s take on Satanism. In my book, I do talk about some earlier Satanists, but most scholars think that the Church of Satan, which was founded in 1966, was really the first full-fledged, modern Satanic religion. Then, later on, in 2013, the Satanic Temple was founded. There are also individual Satanists who don’t associate with any particular type of Satanism, they do their own practice, but those are the two main organizations today. Both are non-theistic and nonviolent. They have similarities in that they stand up for individuality and non-conformity and for scientific, critical thinking. But there are also differences. The Satanic Temple has political and social engagement. That’s quite a new element in Satanism, engaging in activism—campaigns for separation of church and state, advocating for reproductive and LGBTQ rights—or even community good works like clothing drives. That’s all discussed in Speak of the Devil, which is a book that follows the founding of the Satanic Temple and how it led to what they do today.” Read more...
La Carmina, Journalist
Interviews where books by Joseph Laycock were recommended
The best books on Satanism, recommended by La Carmina
Over the centuries, horrible crimes have been committed by Christians accusing others of being followers of the Devil. The label of Satanism was one of the worst imaginable in a religious society. However, from the 17th century onwards, some of the greatest writers began to find in Satan, the fallen angel, a sympathetic character whose opposition to the tyranny of heaven was not entirely unreasonable. Today, modern Satanists embrace the label, pursuing a nontheistic religion that celebrates individualism as well as critical thinking, explains blogger and journalist La Carmina, author of The Little Book of Satanism.
