Satanism

Worship of the devil (Satan) instead of God, and the belief that doing so can bind a person to his power. The most significant ritual in Satanism is believed to be the Black Mass, a parody of the Christian Mass or Eucharist.

Accusations of Satanism are common in times of social and religious upheaval – such as the late 15th to late 17th centuries in Europe when the authority of first the Roman Catholic Church and then of the various major Protestant churches was questioned. There is little evidence that Satanism was ever actually practised, though in the 20th century churches of Satan have emerged in the USA, which tend to be anti-Christian rather than overtly concerned with the propagation of evil.

Satanism is believed to have originated in Middle Eastern dualist belief systems such as Manichaeism and Gnosticism. It has always been closely allied with witchcraft and black magic. An important feature of many rites of Satanism is that Christian religious rites are performed in reverse; for example, prayers being said backwards.