A Girardian Approach to LaVeyan Satanism: Theological Perspectives

This article addresses some convergences in Rene Girard and Anton LaVey’s understandings of Satan. Rene Girard understood Satan as the representation of both mimetic desire and the scapegoat mechanism, both of which have detrimental influences on human culture. In that sense, in continuation with Ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Andrade, Gabriel (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2021
In: Irish theological quarterly
Year: 2021, Volume: 86, Issue: 1, Pages: 50-62
Further subjects:B Anton LaVey
B Nietzsche
B Satan
B Rene Girard
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Description
Summary:This article addresses some convergences in Rene Girard and Anton LaVey’s understandings of Satan. Rene Girard understood Satan as the representation of both mimetic desire and the scapegoat mechanism, both of which have detrimental influences on human culture. In that sense, in continuation with Christian orthodoxy, Girard did not find any positive aspect in Satanism. By contrast, Anton LaVey had a more positive approach to Satan. LaVey was an unsophisticated Nietzschean, who nevertheless understood well that the German philosopher’s views were not dissimilar to what Satan represents. Rene Girard’s understanding of who (or what) Satan is, makes this clearer.
ISSN:1752-4989
Contains:Enthalten in: Irish theological quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0021140020977656