666: The Theme That Shall Not Be Named

<p>Satan! In his many surprising manifestations, all around us. </p><ul><li>Prologue: Host Ira Glass plays recordings from the Satanic Prayer Line, and speaks to the line’s creator, Chris Allert. (8 1/2 minutes)</li><li>Act One: New Yorker staff writer Kelefa Sanneh tells the story of exorcist Bob Larson’s trip into the world of heavy metal. (20 minutes)</li><li>Act Two: Religion professor Elaine Pagels explains the roots and evolution of Satan in religious texts. She is the author of "The Origin of Satan." (9 minutes)</li><li>Act Three: Writer Gary Shteyngart presents a fictional diary of two Russian men — and a story of the special malevolence that can grow from an intimate situation. A portion of the story is read by actor Josh Gad. Gary Shteyngart’s most recent book is "Lake Success.” (18 minutes)</li></ul><p>Transcripts are available at <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/666/transcript">thisamericanlife.org</a></p>