Joseph P. Laycock
Joseph P. Laycock is an assistant professor of religious studies at Texas State University. He teaches courses on world religions, religion in America, new religious movements, and the intersection of religion and popular culture.
All Work
Religion Dispatches Religious Liberty
Satanic Temple Considers Legal Action Against School Censorship
The task of determining which web content students can access is outsourced to an Austin, Texas-based company called Lightspeed Systems, which had manually tagged The Satanic Temple’s website as “mature.”
Religion Dispatches Politics/Law
Satanic Temple’s IRS Recognition Rekindles Fierce Debate Over What Is ‘Really Real’ Church
While TST is not the first Satanic organization to obtain this status, it is the first group that clearly intends to deploy this status in legal challenges. TST’s demands for equal treatment under the law are going to be much harder to dismiss from here on out.
Religion Dispatches Religious Liberty
What the Hail: Satanists Got Busy in 2018
From defending reproductive rights to run-ins with several TV shows, the Satanist community had a busy 2018. The only question going forward: Will internal tension sink the movement?
Religion Dispatches Politics/Law
Will Infamous ‘Candy Cane Memo’ Resurrect Flailing ‘War on Christmas’?
A principal recently made headlines by banning candy canes. At a time when separation of church and state is facing so many legal challenges, it's absolutely critical to understand the establishment clause.
Should Satanic Temple Have Threatened Netflix Over Baphomet Statue in ‘Sabrina’ Series?
"Would they be as understanding of a fictional show that used a real mosque as the HQ of a terrorist cell? A fictional Blood Libel tale implicating real world Jews?"
Religion Dispatches Religious Liberty
Satanist Religious Freedom Rally Successful Despite Neo-Nazis and Christian Heckler
When the police chief asked whether a requested garbage can would be used for blood, he was informed that it was for Satanists to pick up any litter after the rally.
Neo-Nazis Call on ‘White Christians’ to Oppose Satanic Temple Rally
The convergence of conservative Christian and White Supremacist groups suggests this is really a struggle over who is a “real” American and who is not.
![[Photo: A statue of Baphomet for The Satanic Temple.]](https://rewirenewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TST-baph-statue-740x525.jpg)
Religion Dispatches Religious Liberty
Satanic Temple Organizing a Rally for Religious Liberty
The trouble started in 2015 when Arkansas state Sen. Jason Rapert sponsored a bill to erect a Ten Commandments monument at the capitol.
