This book provides an analysis of the nature and role of Satanic cults in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, and explores their origins, history, and characteristics.
According to the author, Satanism has a variety of connotations: the renunciation and denial of a Christian God, the ascendance of evil over good, the forces of darkness, the use of ritual evocations of demons, and sacrifices. Satanic religions are as old as monotheism and have their origins in Persia of the sixth century. However, Satanism is not a worldwide conspiracy. The vast majority of Satanists belong to neo-Satanic churches and represent no threat to society. Satanic and non-Satanic religious cults that advocate and practice violence should be watched by authorities, but care must be taken to assure that innocent groups are not persecuted simply for having unorthodox beliefs. We must also recognize that many theories, like that of a child-molesting conspiracy of Satanists, are not supported by any evidence, but are the product of a sensationalist media. Case examples, index, and 82 references.