Theistic Satanism

Theistic Satanism, otherwise referred to as spiritual Satanism, or devil worship, is an umbrella term for religious groups that consider Satan to objectively exist as a deity, supernatural entity, or spiritual being worthy of worship or reverence, whom individuals may believe in, contact, and convene with, in contrast to the atheistic archetype, metaphor, or symbol found in LaVeyan Satanism.

Organizations who uphold theistic Satanist beliefs most often have few adherents, are loosely affiliated or constitute themselves as independent groups and cabals, which have largely self-marginalized. Another prominent characteristic of theistic Satanism is the use of various types of magic. Most theistic Satanist groups exist in relatively new models and ideologies, many of which are independent of the Abrahamic religions.

In addition to the worship of Satan or the Devil in the Abrahamic sense, religious traditions based on the worship of other "adversarial" gods—usually borrowed from pre-Christian polytheistic religions—are often included within theistic Satanism. Theistic Satanist organizations may incorporate beliefs and practices borrowed from Gnosticism, Hermeticism, neopaganism, New Age, the left-hand path, black magic, ceremonial magic, Western esotericism, occult traditions, and sorcery.

Satan is an entity in Abrahamic religions who entices humans into sin or falsehood. He is usually depicted as the embodiment of evil. In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or 'evil inclination'. In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as a fallen angel or jinn who has rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him temporary power over the fallen world and a host of demons.

A large percentage of theistic Satanists worship Satan conceived as the Devil in the Christian religion. In Christianity, the Devil, also known as Satan or Lucifer, is the personification of evil and author of sin, who rebelled against God in an attempt to become equal to God himself. He is depicted as a fallen angel, who was expelled from Heaven at the beginning of time, before God created the material world, and is in constant opposition to God.

The Devil is described and depicted as being perfect in beauty. He was so enamored with his own beauty and self, that he became vain, and so prideful that he corrupted himself and began to desire the same honor and glory that belonged to God. Eventually he rebelled and tried to overthrow God, and as a result was cast out of heaven. Satan is also portrayed as a father to his daughter, Sin, by the 17th-century English poet John Milton in Paradise Lost.

Since the first half of the 1990s, the Internet has increased the interaction, visibility, communication, and spread of different currents and beliefs among self-identified Satanists and has led to the propagation of more conflicting and diverse groups, but Satanism has always been a heterogeneous, pluralistic, decentralized religious movement and "cultic milieu". Religion academics, scholars of New religious movements, and sociologists of religion focused on Satanism have sought to study it by categorizing its currents according to whether they are esoteric/theistic or rationalist/atheistic, and they referred to the practice of working with a literal Satan as theistic or "traditional" Satanism. It is generally a prerequisite to being considered a theistic Satanist that the believer accepts a theological and metaphysical canon which involves one or more gods that are either considered to be Satan in the strictest, Abrahamic sense (the Judeo-Christian-Islamic conception of the Devil), or a conception of Satan that incorporates "adversarial" gods usually borrowed from pre-Christian polytheistic religions, such as Ahriman or Enki. Despite the number of self-professed theistic Satanists constantly increasing since the 1990s, they are considered by most scholars of religion to be a minority group within Satanism.

Many theistic Satanists believe that their own individualized concepts are based on pieces of all of these diverse conceptions of Satan, according to their inclinations and sources of spiritual guidance, rather than only believing in one suggested interpretation. Some may choose to live out the myths and stereotypes, but Christianity is not always the primary frame of reference for theistic Satanists. Their religion may be based on Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Neo-Paganism, New Age, the left-hand path, black magic, ceremonial magic, Crowleyan magick, Western esotericism, occult traditions, and sorcery. Theistic Satanists who base their faith on Christian ideas about Satan are referred to as "Diabolists", although they are also referred to as "reverse Christians" by other Satanists, often in a pejorative fashion. However, those labelled by some as "reverse Christians" may see their concept of Satan as undiluted or unsanitized. They worship a stricter interpretation of Satan: that of the Satan featured in the Christian Bible. Peter H. Gilmore, current leader of the atheistic Church of Satan, considers "Devil-worship" to be a Christian heresy, that is, a divergent form of Christianity. The diversity of individual beliefs within theistic Satanism, while being a cause for intense debates within the religion, is also often seen as a reflection of Satan, who is believed to encourage individualism.