In the Shadow of the Beast: The Impact of Aleister Crowley on New Religious Movements and Contemporary Culture
Digital Archive @ GSU May 13, 2022 Robert F. Jones
Aleister Crowley, a controversial figure from the late 19th-century British occult revival, had a lasting influence on New Religious Movements such as Wicca and Scientology. Decades after his death, his image and writings gained renewed popularity, appearing on a Beatles album cover and becoming a countercultural icon. This historical analysis traces the reception of Crowley's ideas, from his self-promotion as a 'beastly' persona, through posthumous demonization, rehabilitation in the 1960s, renewed demonization in the 1980s, and gradual scholarly acceptance of his importance to the study of New Religious Movements.