The Satanic "cult" conspiracy theory and its followers: the digital rebranding of a medieval myth

The Satanic Cult conspiracy theory alleges that Satan-worshipping cults exist and threaten society. It has underpinned multiple witch hunts and moral panics from the early Middle Ages to the 1980s ‘Satanic Panic’. Today its narratives have appeared again, popularised by seemingly united communities of conspiracy theorists across social media. This paper analyses the role of social media in legitimising contemporary Satanic cult conspiracy theories, and the relationship between its 'followers' and those that they demonise. It emphasises both how its theorists weaponise ‘Satanic cult’ accusations against others, but also – paradoxically - how they have themselves also attracted ‘the cult label’. This paper ultimately questions the extent to which we can determine whether online conspiracism today can be considered a form of  ‘new religion’, or even ‘belief’ at all, and whether or not it really matters.