Speak of the Devil, Joseph P. Laycock
Speak of the Devil, Joseph P. Laycock
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Speak of the Devil
How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion

Author: Joseph P. Laycock

Narrator: Thomas Allen

Unabridged: 9 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/30/2020


Synopsis

In 2013, when the state of Oklahoma erected a statue of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the state capitol, a group calling themselves The Satanic Temple applied to erect a statue of Baphomet alongside the Judeo-Christian tablets. Since that time, The Satanic Temple has become a regular voice in national conversations about religious freedom, disestablishment, and government overreach. In addition to petitioning for Baphomet to appear alongside another monument of the Ten Commandments in Arkansas, the group has launched campaigns to include Satanic "nativity scenes" on government property in Florida, Michigan, and Indiana, offer Satanic prayers at a high school football game in Seattle, and create "After School Satan" programs in elementary schools that host Christian extracurricular programs. Since their 2012 founding, The Satanic Temple has established nineteen chapters and now claims 100,000 supporters. Is this just a political group perpetuating a series of stunts? Or is it a sincere religious movement?

Speak of the Devil is the first book-length study of The Satanic Temple. Joseph Laycock, a scholar of new religious movements, contends that the emergence of "political Satanism" marks a significant moment in American religious history that will have a lasting impact on how Americans frame debates about religious freedom.

About Joseph P. Laycock

Joseph P. Laycock is an assistant professor of religious studies at Texas State University. His work explores American religious history and new religious movements. He is also a coeditor of the journal Nova Religio.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Forrest on January 29, 2020

Truly thought provoking and worthwhile reading.......more

Goodreads review by Brian on December 28, 2020

My favorite chapter in the book is Chapter 6, ‘Satanic Bake Sales: How The Satanic Temple Is Changing the Way We Talk About Evil’. In this chapter, Laycock writes about how Satanists ‘appropriate the discourse of evil’. In other words, they identify with a symbol (Satan) that many equate with evil b......more

Goodreads review by Erin on April 14, 2020

An honest account of a new religion that forces the establishment to dig deep before espousing their belief in religious pluralism. This book is a must-read for all TST members, thinking-about-becoming-members, religious wonks, and anyone who wants to fully understand what it means to be religious i......more

Goodreads review by Corey on June 19, 2021

An excellent overview of the history of the Satanic Temple. If you enjoyed Penny Lane's wonderful documentary "Hail Satan?" and want more in-depth discussion of the topics and events it covered, this book is for you. I seem to share some interests with the author, Joseph Laycock, as the next book of......more

Goodreads review by Maggie on March 17, 2020

Speak of the Devil is an eye-opening book balanced on solid scholarship. I recommend it for absolutely everyone. Whether you are a Satanist (TST member or not), curious or confused about The Satanic Temple, or a devout member of a non- Satanic religion, you will find much here to think about.......more