The concept of Satan

The term Satan (Hebrew: ha-Satan; Persian: sheytân; Arabic: al-Shaitan )  is a personification of antagonism which has traditionally been associated with the three Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity and Islamic belief. In Judeo-Christian belief Satan is an angel known as 'the accuser' and a Jinn 'the adversary' in Islamic belief. Further both terms were orininally, used as a title for numerous entities that challenged the religious faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible. Since then, the Abrahamic religions have used 'Satan' as a name for The Devil.

Nevertheless, 'ha-satan' of the Old Testament (particularly the Book of Job) and 'Satan' of the New Testament are different entities. Also in Islamic belief, The Devil is known as Iblis. For more information on the different notions about Satan, The Devil and Iblis visit Wikipedia to read the various articles on these concepts.

Satanism from a Satanic Perspective

A discussion from Venus Satanas on the definitions of satanism, from a satanic and a christian perspective.

Conclusion of independent study by James R. Lewis: (Full Article)

"Modern Satanism is a loose, decentralized movement that coheres as a distinct religious community largely by virtue of participants’ adherence to the thought of Anton LaVey, especially as expressed in The Satanic Bible. Following the dissolution of the Church of Satan’s grotto system in 1975 and before the explosion of the internet in the mid-nineties, the Satanist movement was propagated almost entirely by The Satanic Bible, which has continuously been in print as a widely-available, mass market paperback. Despite this volume’s patchwork quality and haphazard genesis, it has come to play an authoritative, quasi-scriptural role within the Satanist movement. It has also, by default, come to be regarded as a Satanically-inspired scripture by certain groups of outsiders. In particular, ritual abuse and occult crime advocates have attributed to LaVey’s work characteristics drawn from popular stereotypes of Satanism-stereotypes that are, for the most part, completely alien to the thought world of The Satanic Bible."