Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Origins of Satanism in Religious History
Origins of Satanism in Religious History
Knowledge check
Q1. In most historical and scholarly accounts, where does the figure of Satan first appear in the Hebrew Bible?
- A. In the Book of Genesis as the serpent in the Garden of Eden
- B. In the Book of Job as a member of the divine council who tests Job ✓
- C. In the Book of Daniel as a rebel angel who leads a war in heaven
- D. In the Book of Exodus as the Pharaoh who opposes Moses
Why: In the Book of Job, the Hebrew word 'ha-satan' (the adversary) refers to a functionary in the divine council who tests Job with God's permission. Later traditions merged this figure with the serpent of Genesis and the fallen angels of other texts, but the Job account is the earliest clear appearance of Satan as a named figure.
Q2. What does the Hebrew word 'satan' literally mean?
- A. Ruler of darkness
- B. Deceiver or liar
- C. Adversary or accuser ✓
- D. Fallen angel
Why: The Hebrew root s-t-n means 'to oppose' or 'to accuse,' so 'satan' means adversary or accuser. It is originally a role or title rather than a proper name, which is why early texts use it with the definite article, 'the satan.'
Q3. Which ancient religious tradition had a significant influence on the development of the later concept of a cosmic evil adversary in Judaism?
- A. Ancient Greek mystery religions
- B. Zoroastrianism, with its dualistic opposition between a good god and an evil spirit ✓
- C. Egyptian Ma'at worship
- D. Norse mythology of Ragnarok
Why: Zoroastrianism, which developed in Persia, centered on a cosmic struggle between Ahura Mazda and the destructive spirit Angra Mainyu. Scholars widely argue that contact with Persian dualism during and after the Babylonian exile helped shape the later Jewish and early Christian picture of a powerful evil opponent of God.
Q4. Which New Testament text is most often cited as describing the fall of Satan from heaven, though scholars debate whether it refers to Satan specifically?
- A. Matthew 4, the temptation in the wilderness
- B. Luke 10:18, where Jesus says he saw Satan fall like lightning ✓
- C. John 1, the opening prologue
- D. Acts 2, the descent of the Holy Spirit
Why: In Luke 10:18 Jesus says 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.' Along with Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, which were originally about human kings, this verse became a key source for the later narrative of Satan as a fallen angel, though the passages themselves do not describe that event in full.
Q5. Which term refers to the later Christian doctrine, developed by theologians such as Origen and Augustine, that evil is not a substance created by God but a privation or absence of good?
- A. Gnosticism
- B. Theodicy
- C. Privatio boni ✓
- D. Apocalypticism
Why: The Latin phrase privatio boni, 'privation of good,' expresses the view that evil has no independent existence and is a corruption or lack of goodness in created beings. Augustine developed this idea extensively, and it shaped how Christian thinkers understood Satan as a fallen creature rather than an equal rival to God.
Module 2
Module 2: Literary Roots: Milton, Blake, and the Satanic Figure
Literary Roots: Milton, Blake, and the Satanic Figure
Knowledge check
Q1. Which 17th-century English poet's epic Paradise Lost is widely credited with shaping the modern literary image of Satan as a rebellious, charismatic figure?
- A. Geoffrey Chaucer
- B. John Milton ✓
- C. Edmund Spenser
- D. Andrew Marvell
Why: John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667) gave Satan a dramatic, heroic, and eloquent characterization, most famously in his defiant line 'Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n,' which strongly influenced later literary portrayals.
Q2. In Paradise Lost, what is the name of the event in which Satan and his followers are cast out of Heaven?
- A. The Harrowing
- B. The Fall of the Angels (the War in Heaven) ✓
- C. The Flood
- D. The Exodus
Why: Milton depicts a war in Heaven in which Satan leads a revolt against God; the rebel angels are defeated and expelled into Hell, an event often called the Fall of the Angels.
Q3. William Blake's 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell' (c. 1790) is notable for which reinterpretation of Milton's Satan?
- A. Satan is portrayed as purely evil and irredeemable
- B. Satan is presented as a figure of energy and rebellion who is partly admirable, challenging conventional morality ✓
- C. Satan is shown as a comedic buffoon
- D. Satan is absent from the work entirely
Why: Blake famously stated that Milton was 'of the Devil's party without knowing it,' and in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell he celebrates energy, desire, and rebellion, presenting a more sympathetic and revolutionary reading of the Satanic figure.
Q4. Which Romantic-era poet is known for claiming that Milton's Satan is the most compelling character in Paradise Lost?
- A. Lord Byron
- B. Percy Bysshe Shelley ✓
- C. John Keats
- D. William Wordsworth
Why: Percy Bysshe Shelley, in his Defence of Poetry and preface to Prometheus Unbound, argued that Satan is the most interesting figure in Paradise Lost, a view that helped popularize the Romantic admiration of the rebellious Satan.
Q5. Which term describes the Romantic-era fascination with rebellious, brooding, outcast heroes that is often linked to Milton's Satan?
- A. The Byronic hero ✓
- B. The picaresque hero
- C. The tragic flaw
- D. The deus ex machina
Why: The 'Byronic hero' is a type of brooding, defiant, and outcast figure named after Lord Byron, whose characters are often seen as descendants of Milton's Satan in their rebellious individualism.
Module 3
Module 3: The Church of Satan and LaVey's Philosophy
The Church of Satan and LaVey's Philosophy
Knowledge check
Q1. In what year did Anton LaVey found the Church of Satan in San Francisco?
- A. 1948
- B. 1966 ✓
- C. 1974
- D. 1984
Why: Anton Szandor LaVey founded the Church of Satan on Walpurgisnacht (April 30) in 1966, establishing it in San Francisco. Its founding is widely dated to that year, making 1966 the correct answer.
Q2. What is the title of LaVey's 1969 book that laid out the core tenets of his philosophy?
- A. The Satanic Witch
- B. The Satanic Bible ✓
- C. Book of the Law
- D. Liber Null
Why: The Satanic Bible, published in 1969, is LaVey's foundational text. It contains the Satanic Statements, the Nine Satanic Statements, and rituals, and it is the central doctrinal work of the Church of Satan.
Q3. Which of the following is one of the Nine Satanic Statements in LaVey's philosophy?
- A. Satan represents spiritual salvation for all humankind.
- B. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence. ✓
- C. Satan is the literal ruler of Hell and must be worshipped.
- D. Satan represents the forgiveness of sins through prayer.
Why: The Nine Satanic Statements describe Satan as representing indulgence rather than abstinence, along with vital existence, undefiled wisdom, kindness to the deserving, and vengeance instead of turning the other cheek. LaVey's Satan is a symbol of human self-assertion, not a supernatural being to be worshipped.
Q4. What does LaVey's philosophy regard Satan as primarily representing?
- A. A literal deity who judges souls
- B. A symbol of carnal man and human self-determination ✓
- C. An evil force that must be defeated through faith
- D. A figure of divine redemption for sinners
Why: LaVey treated Satan as a symbol rather than a literal supernatural entity. Satan represented carnal man, individualism, and self-determination, in contrast to the self-denial and submission to a deity emphasized in mainstream Christianity.
Q5. Which philosophical stance is most closely associated with LaVey's Church of Satan?
- A. Theistic devotion to a creator god
- B. Atheism combined with a focus on self-interest and individualism ✓
- C. Mystical pantheism centered on nature spirits
- D. Strict ascetic monasticism
Why: LaVey was an avowed atheist who did not believe in a supernatural Satan or God. His philosophy emphasized self-interest, individualism, rational egoism, and the rejection of religious guilt, making atheism combined with self-focused values the most accurate description.
Module 4
Module 4: The Temple of Set and Left-Hand Path Traditions
The Temple of Set and Left-Hand Path Traditions
Knowledge check
Q1. Which religious movement was founded in 1975 by Michael Aquino and is often cited as a major modern Left-Hand Path organization?
- A. The Church of Satan
- B. The Temple of Set ✓
- C. The Order of the Golden Dawn
- D. The Ordo Templi Orientis
Why: The Temple of Set was founded in 1975 by Michael Aquino and other former members of the Church of Satan, after a split over leadership and doctrine. It is a prominent example of a modern Left-Hand Path tradition.
Q2. In Temple of Set teachings, what is the central concept that practitioners aim to develop through self-directed magical and philosophical work?
- A. Submission to a monotheistic deity
- B. Becoming a Black Magician, an individual who consciously develops their own will and potential ✓
- C. Strict communal obedience to a hierarchy of priests
- D. Renunciation of all personal identity
Why: The Temple of Set emphasizes individualism and the cultivation of the self through practices aimed at becoming a 'Black Magician,' a self-determined person who consciously shapes their own reality and development.
Q3. What does the term 'Left-Hand Path' generally refer to in esoteric and religious contexts?
- A. A purely atheistic rejection of all spiritual practice
- B. Traditions that pursue spiritual or personal development through individualism, self-deification, and confronting taboos, as opposed to conventional devotional paths ✓
- C. A form of Buddhist meditation focusing on compassion
- D. Ancient agricultural rituals from Mesopotamia
Why: The Left-Hand Path describes traditions that seek transcendence through individual will, self-divinization, and engagement with what is conventionally forbidden, contrasting with Right-Hand Path approaches centered on devotion and conformity to established morality.
Q4. Who is Set (also spelled Seth) in the ancient Egyptian context from which the Temple of Set draws inspiration?
- A. The god of the Nile and fertility
- B. The god of chaos, storms, the desert, and strength, who in some myths opposes Osiris ✓
- C. The sun god who created humanity
- D. The god of writing and wisdom
Why: Set is an ancient Egyptian deity associated with chaos, storms, desert, and strength. In the Osiris myths he is the antagonist who kills his brother, though he was also venerated in some periods, and the Temple of Set reinterprets him as a symbol of individual will and independence.
Q5. How does the Temple of Set differ from the Church of Satan regarding the figure of Satan?
- A. The Temple of Set worships Satan as a literal deity, while the Church of Satan rejects all deities
- B. The Temple of Set does not use Satan as a central deity and instead focuses on Set, whereas the Church of Satan uses Satan as a symbol of rebellion and self-assertion ✓
- C. Both organizations are identical in every doctrinal respect
- D. The Temple of Set was founded to convert people to Christianity
Why: The Church of Satan, founded by Anton LaVey, uses Satan as a symbolic figure of rebellion and self-assertion, while the Temple of Set, which split from it, centers on Set as its archetype and rejects the Satan framing, viewing its own tradition as distinct.
Module 5
Module 5: Satanic Panic and the Moral Panics of the 1980s
Satanic Panic and the Moral Panics of the 1980s
Knowledge check
Q1. What was the primary focus of the Satanic Panic that gained momentum in the United States during the 1980s?
- A. Concerns that Satanic cults were ritually abusing children and engaging in organized criminal conspiracies ✓
- B. Fears that Satanic groups were secretly funding communist movements abroad
- C. Alarm over Satanic publications being banned from public libraries
- D. Worries that Satanic churches were gaining legal recognition as official religions
Why: The Satanic Panic centered on claims that Satanic cults were abducting and ritually abusing children, often in daycare centers, and committing other crimes. Investigations rarely produced physical evidence, and the claims were largely unsubstantiated.
Q2. Which 1980 book, written by Lauren Stratford (a pseudonym), helped popularize claims of Satanic ritual abuse?
- A. The Satanic Bible
- B. Satan's Underground
- C. Satan's Underground was a memoir, while Michelle Remembers (1980) by Michelle Smith and Lawrence Pazder was a key early text ✓
- D. Hounded by the Devil
Why: Michelle Remembers (1980), co-written by Michelle Smith and her psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder, recounted recovered memories of satanic ritual abuse and became an influential early text. Its methods and claims were later widely criticized by researchers.
Q3. What was a major factor that fueled the growth of allegations during the Satanic Panic?
- A. Peer-reviewed forensic studies confirming ritual abuse
- B. Repressed memory therapy and suggestive interviewing techniques with children ✓
- C. Federal investigations that uncovered a national Satanic network
- D. Confessions from members of Satanic churches who had been arrested
Why: Therapists using repressed memory techniques, hypnosis, and leading questions often produced accounts of abuse that were later shown to be influenced by the process itself. Research by scholars such as Elizabeth Loftus highlighted how suggestion can distort memory.
Q4. What did the 1992 report by the British government, led by Jean La Fontaine, conclude about claims of ritual abuse?
- A. Ritual abuse was widespread and confirmed by police records
- B. Claims of organized satanic ritual abuse were not supported by evidence ✓
- C. Only a small number of cases involved Satanic groups, all in rural areas
- D. The report found that all accused daycare workers were guilty
Why: Jean La Fontaine's 1994 report (commissioned by the UK Department of Health, with fieldwork in the early 1990s) examined hundreds of allegations and found no evidence of organized satanic ritual abuse, though it acknowledged that some children had been abused in other ways.
Q5. Which later event is widely seen as a turning point that helped end the Satanic Panic in the United States?
- A. The 1985 Supreme Court ruling banning Satanic symbols in public schools
- B. The collapse of several high-profile daycare abuse trials, such as the McMartin Preschool case, after acquittals and lack of evidence ✓
- C. The passage of federal legislation establishing Satanism as a protected religion
- D. The discovery of a Satanic cult operating in the FBI
Why: The McMartin Preschool trial (1987–1990) ended without convictions after years of costly proceedings, and other daycare cases similarly collapsed. Failures like these, along with growing scholarly criticism, undermined public confidence in the ritual abuse claims.
Module 6
Module 6: Myths, Misconceptions, and Media Portrayals
Myths, Misconceptions, and Media Portrayals
Knowledge check
Q1. Which of the following is a common misconception about modern Satanism, as opposed to its historical or fictional portrayals?
- A. Modern Satanism is a organized belief system that has no connection to any historical traditions
- B. Many modern Satanists do not believe in a literal supernatural Devil and are not devil worshippers ✓
- C. Modern Satanists routinely practice ritual sacrifice as part of their worship
- D. Satanism was founded by a medieval Catholic church official in the 12th century
Why: Modern Satanist groups such as The Satanic Temple and the Church of Satan are largely non-theistic or atheistic. Many members see Satan as a symbol of rebellion, individualism, or skepticism toward institutional authority rather than as a literal being to be worshipped. The image of devil worship is largely a product of Christian polemic and fiction.
Q2. The 1980s 'Satanic Panic' in the United States is best described as:
- A. A documented wave of ritual murders carried out by organized Satanic cults
- B. A moral panic in which widespread fears of organized Satanic child abuse led to many accusations, but investigations found no physical evidence of such organized cults ✓
- C. A government investigation that confirmed the existence of a national Satanic conspiracy
- D. A religious revival movement that encouraged followers to renounce Satanism
Why: During the 1980s and early 1990s, numerous daycare and abuse accusations involved claims of Satanic ritual abuse. Extensive investigations, including a 1994 UK government report by Jean La Fontaine and FBI reviews, found no credible evidence of organized Satanic cults committing these crimes. The panic is studied as a case of moral panic and the spread of unfounded accusations.
Q3. Which film from the 1960s is often cited as shaping popular Hollywood imagery of Satanic cults and the Devil?
- A. The Exorcist
- B. Rosemary's Baby ✓
- C. The Omen
- D. Carrie
Why: Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby (1968) depicted a satanic coven plotting to use a woman to bear the Devil's child. It became highly influential in shaping popular ideas of Satanic conspiracies, cults, and secret societies in mainstream culture, though it is a fictional work.
Q4. Anton LaVey published 'The Satanic Bible' in 1969. What was its primary significance?
- A. It was an ancient text recovered from archaeological excavations
- B. It was a foundational text for the Church of Satan, emphasizing individualism, self-indulgence, and rejection of religious dogma, rather than devil worship ✓
- C. It was a Christian pamphlet warning against the dangers of occult practices
- D. It was a collection of medieval grimoires translated into English
Why: LaVey founded the Church of Satan in 1966 and wrote The Satanic Bible, which framed Satan as a symbol of pride, carnal indulgence, and independent thought. The book is a modern philosophical and social text rather than an ancient scripture, and it does not promote worship of a supernatural being.
Q5. Why do many media portrayals of Satanism tend to be inaccurate?
- A. Filmmakers are legally required to depict Satanism negatively
- B. Writers often draw on Christian demonology and older fictional tropes rather than on the actual beliefs and practices of Satanist groups ✓
- C. Satanists have banned all journalists from studying their groups
- D. Modern Satanism has no documented beliefs or texts for writers to reference
Why: Media depictions often rely on centuries of Christian demonology, Gothic literature, and sensational fiction rather than on the actual teachings and practices of contemporary Satanist organizations. This reinforces stereotypes of ritual sacrifice and devil worship that do not reflect how most modern Satanists actually live or think.
Module 7
Module 7: Satanism Today: Practice, Community, and Diversity
Satanism Today: Practice, Community, and Diversity
Knowledge check
Q1. Which organization, founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey in San Francisco, is generally considered the first formal Satanist organization in the modern era?
- A. The Process Church of the Final Judgment
- B. The Church of Satan ✓
- C. The Temple of Set
- D. The Satanic Temple
Why: Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan in 1966 and published The Satanic Bible in 1969. It is widely regarded as the first formally organized modern Satanist group. The Temple of Set (1975) and The Satanic Temple (2013) came later and emerged in part from different theological or political aims.
Q2. Which of the following best describes LaVey Satanism, the philosophy promoted by the Church of Satan?
- A. A belief in a literal devil who rules over hell and tempts humans to sin
- B. An atheistic philosophy that treats Satan as a symbol of individualism, self-indulgence, and rejection of religious dogma ✓
- C. A form of worship centered on summoning demons for supernatural power
- D. A movement dedicated to restoring pre-Christian pagan fertility rites
Why: LaVey Satanism is non-theistic. Satan is treated as a symbol of carnality, pride, and independent thinking rather than a supernatural being. Many practitioners do not believe in a literal deity at all, which distinguishes them from the popular stereotype of devil worship.
Q3. What is the main focus of The Satanic Temple's activism in the 21st century?
- A. Converting people to a literal belief in Satan as a deity
- B. Promoting separation of church and state and challenging religious privilege in public life ✓
- C. Organizing exorcisms and spiritual cleansing services
- D. Preserving the ancient Mesopotamian religion of the Akkadian people
Why: The Satanic Temple, founded in 2013, is known for political and legal activism. Its members have sought religious equal-time rights, such as installing monuments beside Ten Commandments displays on government property, to highlight what they see as unconstitutional religious endorsement by the state.
Q4. Which practice is commonly associated with modern Satanist ritual life?
- A. Daily prayers directed to a single monotheistic deity
- B. Ritual rites of passage such as the Satanic baptism or 'Black Mass'-style ceremonies performed for personal or symbolic meaning ✓
- C. Mandatory fasting during a fixed annual calendar of holy days
- D. Pilgrimage to a central holy city such as Jerusalem or Mecca
Why: Modern Satanists often use ritual as a tool for self-expression and symbolic reflection. LaVey's Satanic Bible included rites like the Satanic baptism, weddings, and funerals. Practices vary widely, and many groups emphasize personal meaning over fixed doctrine or institutional hierarchy.
Q5. Why is the modern Satanist movement considered highly diverse?
- A. Because all Satanists agree on the same theology, texts, and ethical code
- B. Because it includes theistic, atheistic, philosophical, political, and artistic approaches with no single required belief ✓
- C. Because it is limited to a single nation and culture
- D. Because membership is restricted to people of one particular religious background
Why: Modern Satanism is decentralized. Some adherents are theistic and treat Satan as a real entity, while others are atheistic and use Satan as a symbol. Groups differ in their focus on ritual, individualism, activism, or art, so no single creed unites them all.