In this lecture, historian of religions Per Faxneld discusses how contemporary feminists use Satan as an empowering figure, but also how gender equality has been a complicated and contested issue in many Satanic groups.
Satanic Feminism, using Satan as a positive symbol in a struggle to tear down the patriarchy, has roots stretching back to at least the early 19th century. But it’s not just a historical phenomenon – in fact, it’s a tradition very much alive and (still) kicking God the Father in the balls. In this lecture, historian of religions Per Faxneld discusses how contemporary feminists use Satan as an empowering figure, but also how gender equality has been a complicated and contested issue in many Satanic groups.
Per Faxneld is Associate Professor in History of Religions at Södertörn University (Stockholm), author of “Satanic Feminism Lucifer as the Liberator of Woman in Nineteenth Century Culture” and a devotee of weird antiques, ominous music, and sinister sartorialism. He is the author of three monographs, two edited volumes, and numerous articles on Satanism, occultism, and esoteric art. In 2020, Faxneld made his literary debut with “Offerträdet” (“The Tree of Sacrifice”), an illustrated collection of folk horror tales set in 19th-century northern Sweden.