Contemporary Religious Satanism

It was a part of Ashgate's series of books on "Controversial New Religions" alongside tomes devoted to the academic study of new religious movements, such as Wicca and the Order of the Solar Temple.

[4] Erik Davis of Rice University reviewed the anthology for the Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft journal, noting that the book was primarily sociological in basis but that it opened up "an underresearched and underreported topic".

The volume also dedicates an essay to the old-school Norwegian Black Metal scene, which according to Davis "shows how [...] aesthetics, ethos, and metaphysical worldview" are "fused into a paradigmatic (and sometimes violent) moment of satanic sincerity—one whose grim ascesis features, paradoxically, an almost total inversion of LaVey's call for hedonic enjoyment".

[5] Moving on to review the inclusion of primary documents at the end of the volume, he believes that the works presented appear "minor in context", and that it is unfortunate that texts from Anton LaVey and Michael Aquino were not included.

Wishing that philosophical and symbolic analyses of Satanism had been included alongside the sociological studies, Davis also felt that "much more can be made" regarding the differences between LaVeyan-influenced secular Satanists and the mystical left-hand path followers.