Children of Lucifer

This book provides sweeping treatment of a fascinating and challenging theme that might well provoke its readers into rethinking the intellectual foundations of Western modernity. --Stephen W. Angell, The Journal of the American Academy of Religion It is by far the most comprehensive history of Satanism available...Recommended. --CHOICE Van Luijk's book is a welcome addition to the emerging field of studies of religious Satanism. Children of Lucifer successfully argues that rhetoric around the figure of Satan marginalizes political enemies and reflects social concerns-and modern religious Satanism is yet another example of this-as it promotes a radical marginality as an empowering identity. --Reading Religion A tremendously important, meticulously researched and wittily written book, which will change the way we look on Satanism. -Per Faxneld, coauthor of The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity Contrary to popular news, Satanism is not just statues and coloring books. Through the dual mechanisms of attribution and identification, Ruben van Luijk's monumental work examines the history of modern Satanism from early modern Christian inventions to the appropriation and reinterpretation of contemporary satanic groups. This is first-rate scholarship with an impressive attention to detail and breadth of insight, which never fails to captivate the reader. Children of Lucifer proves that to understand the present we must understand history. -Jesper Aagaard Petersen, co-author of The Invention of Satanism (2015) If you want the real story of Satanism, then read this book. Extremely well documented and full of surprising twists and turns, it shows that history is much more exciting than the predictable standard products of the sensationalist imagination. -Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy, University of Amsterdam It is by far the most comprehensive history of Satanism available...Recommended. --CHOICE Van Luijk's book is a welcome addition to the emerging field of studies of religious Satanism. Children of Lucifer successfully argues that rhetoric around the figure of Satan marginalizes political enemies and reflects social concerns-and modern religious Satanism is yet another example of this-as it promotes a radical marginality as an empowering identity. --Reading Religion A tremendously important, meticulously researched and wittily written book, which will change the way we look on Satanism. -Per Faxneld, coauthor of The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity Contrary to popular news, Satanism is not just statues and coloring books. Through the dual mechanisms of attribution and identification, Ruben van Luijk's monumental work examines the history of modern Satanism from early modern Christian inventions to the appropriation and reinterpretation of contemporary satanic groups. This is first-rate scholarship with an impressive attention to detail and breadth of insight, which never fails to captivate the reader. Children of Lucifer proves that to understand the present we must understand history. -Jesper Aagaard Petersen, co-author of The Invention of Satanism (2015) If you want the real story of Satanism, then read this book. Extremely well documented and full of surprising twists and turns, it shows that history is much more exciting than the predictable standard products of the sensationalist imagination. -Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy, University of Amsterdam Van Luijk's book is a welcome addition to the emerging field of studies of religious Satanism. Children of Lucifer successfully argues that rhetoric around the figure of Satan marginalizes political enemies and reflects social concerns-and modern religious Satanism is yet another example of this-as it promotes a radical marginality as an empowering identity. --Reading Religion A tremendously important, meticulously researched and wittily written book, which will change the way we look on Satanism. -Per Faxneld, coauthor of The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity Contrary to popular news, Satanism is not just statues and coloring books. Through the dual mechanisms of attribution and identification, Ruben van Luijk's monumental work examines the history of modern Satanism from early modern Christian inventions to the appropriation and reinterpretation of contemporary satanic groups. This is first-rate scholarship with an impressive attention to detail and breadth of insight, which never fails to captivate the reader. Children of Lucifer proves that to understand the present we must understand history. -Jesper Aagaard Petersen, co-author of The Invention of Satanism (2015) If you want the real story of Satanism, then read this book. Extremely well documented and full of surprising twists and turns, it shows that history is much more exciting than the predictable standard products of the sensationalist imagination. -Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy, University of Amsterdam A tremendously important, meticulously researched and wittily written book, which will change the way we look on Satanism. -Per Faxneld, coauthor of The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity Contrary to popular news, Satanism is not just statues and coloring books. Through the dual mechanisms of attribution and identification, Ruben van Luijk's monumental work examines the history of modern Satanism from early modern Christian inventions to the appropriation and reinterpretation of contemporary satanic groups. This is first-rate scholarship with an impressive attention to detail and breadth of insight, which never fails to captivate the reader. Children of Lucifer proves that to understand the present we must understand history. -Jesper Aagaard Petersen, co-author of The Invention of Satanism (2015) If you want the real story of Satanism, then read this book. Extremely well documented and full of surprising twists and turns, it shows that history is much more exciting than the predictable standard products of the sensationalist imagination. -Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy, University of Amsterdam