Reflective Response: Perceptions of Satanism
In Unit 1, we were asked to identify an area of interest and engage in a brainstorming exercise to refine a research topic and formulate a preliminary research question to serve as the basis for exploring research methods throughout the course, Doing Interdisciplinary Research.
In 2019 I watched the movie Hail Satan? and was immediately interested in learning more about The Satanic Temple (TST) and about atheistic religions in general. As I learned a bit more about TST and their advocacy initiatives I was surprised by the response of politicians and members of the public depicted in the movie. It seemed that much of the public response stemmed from preconceptions about Satanism and “devil worship” rather than knowledge of the stated beliefs of TST (as described by their seven Fundamental Tenets). I wanted to learn more about the disconnect between what Satanism stands for and how it is perceived.
My focused research question from Unit 1 was:
What are the differences between the general public’s perception of Satanism and the stated beliefs of The Satanic Temple, and how does public perception inform political responses to The Satanic Temple’s advocacy initiatives?
Following the brainstorming exercise, in Unit 2, we were asked to reflect on and respond to the following questions:
- Given what you have now learned from Unit 2 through the readings and discussions, would you change, replace, or modify anything in your research area and question from Unit 1?
- Do you anticipate that the way you would go about conducting the research in your chosen area will be affected? If so, in what ways? If not, why not?
After considering the feedback I received following the brainstorming exercise in Unit 1, I confirmed that I would like to focus on the advocacy initiatives undertaken by The Satanic Temple (TST). In a 2014 article in The Atlantic, Lucian Grieves (also known as Douglas Mesner), one of TST’s founders, is quoted: “To say your religion is completely separated from your politics is asinine… To me, there’s no way to disentangle the two… our political actions are our religion” (Resnick, 2014). This view aligns with the way that The Satanic Temple undertakes advocacy and how it interacts with the media and the legal system. It appears that advocacy and political actions are the source of the majority of media attention focused on TST and that the resources dedicated to TST’s ongoing campaigns are significant. In his book, Speak of the Devil, Joseph Laycock (2020) discusses the emergence of “political Satanism”, and this resource will be helpful in understanding TST’s emphasis on advocacy as it is key to how TST carries out its mission. As I learn more, I will be curious to consider if there are other underlying political motivations at play outside of or in conjunction with TST’s stated mission.
The readings and discussion from Unit 2 have led me to reflect on my position in relation to my research topic and question and my connection to the Christian faith growing up. An important preliminary step in this research will be to improve my foundational knowledge of Christianity and other religions to better understand the context within which TST is advocating for change, particularly in settings where Christianity has become the dominant religious voice. This will be important to be able to better understand and examine the language and symbolism that TST uses.
Reflecting on the Mott and Cockayne (2017) reading from Week 2, I’m unsure how selective I will be able to be in terms of citations given that there is likely limited scholarly work available on TST specifically, but I can take the time to learn more about the people I choose to cite, including the leaders of the TST, and acknowledge an imbalance if one exists. I can also be thoughtful about whose voices I choose to seek out and promote. I imagine that tackling this research topic and question will involve collecting and analysing data from news media and other sources, and that certain viewpoints, such as the white Christian perspective, may overshadow others. It will be important to consider other religions and groups that may be involved or impacted by TST’s advocacy initiatives. I am also mindful that both Satanism and Christianity are umbrella terms, and this may also need to be explored. What does TST mean when they refer to other “religious agendas” or a “singular powerful religious voice” (The Satanic Temple, n.d.)? How are different groups affected by TST’s advocacy initiatives? How do different groups respond? These are all questions that I would like to consider in my approach.
References
Laycock, J. P. (2020). Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion. Oxford University Press.
Mott, C., & Cockayne, D. (2017). Citation matters: Mobilizing the politics of citation toward a practice of ‘conscientious engagement.’ Gender, Place & Culture, 24(7), 954–973.
Resnick, G. (2014, February 4). Who Are the “Satanists” Designing an Idol for the Oklahoma Capitol? The Atlantic.
The Satanic Temple. (n.d.). Print Informational Pamphlet. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0428/0465/files/TST_Info_pamphlet_02.pdf?v=1650982499
Notes
This post is a revised version of the Reflective Response assignment I submitted in Week 3 of MAIS 602 Doing Interdisciplinary Research, Athabasca University (Dr. Nisha Nath, May 2022).
Featured Image: Baphomet monument in front of the state capitol building in Little Rock, AR featured in HAIL SATAN?, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.