Editing Temple of Zeus (organization) (section)

==History==

=== Inception ===

In the early 2000s, Maxine Dietrich began the creation of the Joy of Satan Ministries.<ref name=":9" /> Maxine Dietrich established a Satanic ideology that would present itself as an esoteric form of [[LaVeyan Satanism]], but would espouse a "traditional Satanism" by establishing its satanic fundamentals from ancient [[Ancient Middle East|Middle East]], [[Vedas|Far-Eastern]] and [[Paganism|Western teachings]], and only acknowledging the Judaic/Abrahamic concept of Satan as a reaction.<ref name=":12">{{cite book |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |author-link=Massimo Introvigne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nt8zDwAAQBAJ |title=Satanism: A Social History |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-90-04-28828-7 |series=Aries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism |volume=21 |location=[[Leiden]] |pages=370–371 |oclc=1030572947}}</ref> [[File:Ea (Babilonian) - EnKi (Sumerian).jpg|thumb|The ancient clay tablets served as a basis for many ancient astronaut theorists. This Adda Seal depicts [[Enki|Ea]] (Sumerian Enki), god of subterranean waters and of wisdom,[[Isimud|Usimu]], his vizier (chief minister), the sun god Shamash (Sumerian Utu) at the centre, and the winged goddess Ishtar (Sumerian Inanna) to the left.]]

=== E.T. revelation ===
At some point during Maxine Dietrich's studies in ancient history, with [[Ancient astronauts|ancient astronaut]] theorist [[Zecharia Sitchin]] being noted to have some influence, derived the theory of an ancient conflict between advanced extraterrestrial races (see [[#Origins of humanity]], below) and incorporated these theories into her ideology;<ref name=":12" /> concluding that Jews and the [[Abrahamic religions]] were the creations of a hostile alien race responsible for the deposition of pagan religions and their pagan gods (who the JoS identify as [[demon]]s).<ref name=":12" /> With this reinterpretation, the Joy of Satan Ministries recreated Anton LaVey's [[Sigil of Baphomet]], a [[Sigil]] that would incorporate [[cuneiform]] script instead of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] letters (which spells out "[[Satan]]" in cuneiform instead of "[[Leviathan]]" in Hebrew), attributing to the origins of the use of the [[Pentagram]] in Sumeria. The introduction of these theories, along with their contempt for [[Jewish mysticism]], sparked significant controversy within the religious organization.

=== NSM incident ===
In 2004, the Joy of Satan Ministries became established as a non-profit religious organization. [[Anti-Judaism|Anti-Judaic]] sentiment had also completely established itself within the JoS ideology. It was also revealed that Clifford Herrington, chairman of the National Socialist Movement, was the husband of the organization's high priestess.<ref name=":12" /> This revelation exposed the split in the NSM's supposed "[[Christian Identity|Christian identity]]" between the Christians, theistic Satanists and [[Heathenry (new religious movement)|Odinists]].<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":112">{{Cite book |last=Karkov |first=Catherine |title=Disturbing Times Medieval Pasts, Reimagined Futures |publisher=Punctum Books |year=2020 |isbn=978-1950192755 |location= |pages=323}}</ref> After the events, they became the topic of significant controversy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill White |url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/bill-white |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |language=en}}</ref> 

=== Current - post Maxine ===
Despite its controversies, the Joy of Satan Ministries maintained some degree of popularity and significance among the currents of recent and contemporary theistic Satanism.<ref name=":12" /> Some among the theistic Satanist community commend Maxine Dietrich, appraising her pioneering efforts as a "vast improvement over the old, disrespectful [[grimoire]] methods" with the introduction of a system of respectful demon invocation.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" /> 

In March 2019, [[Angelfire]] discontinued its web hosting services for the organization.

In the absence of Maxine Dietrich, the organization is sustained by her advocates and has undergone significant changes. In 2025, it reconstituted itself as the Temple of Zeus.