Reading Time: 6 minutes Every few months, like a barely-comprehended cultural drumbeat, Satanists are in the news—countering a Christian monument on public land with one of their own, declaring that an enormous cross is actually a Satanic symbol, or insisting that a Florida public school distributing evangelical coloring books also distribute “The Satanic Children’s Big Book of Activities.” If […]
Joseph Laycock
Joseph Laycock is an associate professor of religious studies at Texas State University and an editor for the journal Nova Religio. His recent books include "Speak of the Devil: How the Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion" and "The Penguin Book of Exorcisms."
Posted inSociology
How dehumanizing language fueled the Satanic Temple arson attack
Reading Time: 6 minutes On June 10, 2022, an arsonist attempted to burn down the headquarters of The Satanic Temple (TST) in Salem, Massachusetts. Forty-two-year-old Daniel Damien Lucey took a bus from Chelsea, then walked to the building, arriving around 10pm. He was recorded on a doorbell camera pouring lighter fluid on the front porch and igniting it before […]