Baudelaire’s Catholicism seems difficult to interpret, therefore some authors declare the poet a Satanist. In my opinion, this is rather problematic to call Charles Baudelaire a Satanist. It is very debatable and doubtful, but there are several reasons for this. In the collection of poetry entitled “Les Fleurs du mal” (“The Flowers of Evil”), Baudelaire gave a voice to the Devil many times. He wrote a scandalous poem “Litanies de Satan” (“The Litany of Satan”). In fact, Satan tempts us and leads us, after all he is closer to man that God! Was Baudelaire a Satanist? It is question to be answered.

Joris-Karl Huysmans, one of the most prominent French writers of the turn of the twentieth century, began his literary career as a naturalist, a promising disciple of Emile Zola. He departed from these ideals in his best-known novel A rebours (1884), considered the “bible of decadence”. Its protagonist, the eccentric misanthrope des Esseintes, withdraws from society to indulge in contemplation in solitude, studying rare prints and seeking beauty in the singular. He appreciates the scandalising works of writers such as Barbey d,Aurevilly and Baudelaire. These authors have been accused of promoting satanism. Durtal, the protagonist of the novel Lă-bas, goes even further, in which we find contemporary echoes of satanism, attempts to revive the ritual of the black mass or a fascination with cruelty. Ultimately, however – and this is best evidenced in subsequent works ( En route, La Cathédrale, L,Oblat) satanism brings disillusionment. A return to the Christian religion, which Huysmans nevertheless interprets in an original way, becomes inevitable.

The famous English novelist, poet and essayist, Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936) approached the problem of evil differently from many 20th century writers, for example Thomas Mann ( Doctor Faustus) or Bulgakov ( The Master and Margarita). For him, the devil is a real and threatening figure, a true and powerful adversary, not an abstract force. The demon is fostered by the European crisis of values, manifested by an increasingly widespread ethical relativism. In his novels and articles Chesterton calls for dissent from evil, referring to tradition, mainly Christian. He calls for heroism and defence of faith, convinced that victory over the devil and evil, or the triumph of good is possible. The fight against the devil becomes the duty of every Christian in our times.

In the second half of the 19th century in the European culture appears an increased interest in evil. This phenomenon is widely spread particularly in France and England. In his famous volume of poems Les Fleurs du Mal Charles Baudelaire publishes The Litanies for Satan where the Devil replaces God as the addressee of a blasphemous prayer. Joris-Karl Huysmans, an author of the novel LB-bas, describes a black mess and a litany addressed to Satan who seems to be closer to sinful people than perfectly indifferent God. A poet from the Huysmans’ artictic circle, Édouard Dubus, devotes his litany to a „Lady of grace and immorality” – a blasphemous double of Mary, mother of Jesus. An English poet Charles Algernon Swinburne writes Dolores, a poem addressed to „Our Lady of Pain” and recognised as the apogee of the satanic litany. In all these cases the choice of a litany as a literary genre results in acceptance of a vision of the world broaden with spirituality. In spite of their seemingly blasphemous plots, all these texts express a deep hunger for the sacred – the hunger that could not be satisfied with official religion.

The article is titled “The symbol of the serpent in the Apocalypse of St. John”. Its aim is an exegetical analysis of the term “serpent” (ὄφις). The expression appears in Rev 9:19; 12:9; 20:2 and 12:14-16. In Rev 9:19 snakes are a symbolic element of a cavalry that realizes God’s plan. In other texts the serpent is a symbol of Satan. In Rev 12:9; 20,2 appears the title “the ancient serpent” referring to the biblical story of Gen 3:1-24. It is emphasized that Satan is the tempter. In Rev 12:14-16 the term “serpent” is used as a synonym for the dragon. It is possible that the symbolic scene of aggression towards woman expresses a destructive satanic action against the Church. We also ask a question how much the apocalyptic dragon (δράκων) is a serpent. In the course of exegetical analysis we have paid attention to two perspectives. The first is a historical and religious background of the serpent symbol in Rev. The second is original theology of Rev. One of her basic features is very rich symbolism. The author of Rev. refers to the past, but introduces a new, original content.