Satanism: The Seduction of South Africa’s Youth — John & Helen Gardiner | Moral Panic & Youth Cultur

Satanism: The Seduction of South Africas Youth by John and Helen Gardiner examines the moral panic surrounding Satanism among South African youth during the late apartheid era. Through a spiritual lens, the authors portray Satanism not as a mental health issue but as a pervasive spiritual danger that required deliverancenot psychologyto resolve. They highlight how sensational cases, such as youth possessions, sparked widespread fear and influenced public perception and media coverage.

Key Topics Covered:

• Framing Satanism among youth as a spiritual crisis rather than a psychological one

• Assertion that clinical diagnoses like schizophrenia may indicate Satanic influence

• Contribution to the broader Satanic panic and the moral panic narrative in apartheid-era South Africa

John Gardiner, Helen Gardiner, Satanism, South Africa, youth culture, moral panic, spiritual crisis, occult panic, apartheid era, deliverance ministry, psychiatric controversy