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In an interview with the US magazine “Vulture”, the US musician Sufjan Stevens spoke about his view of religion. “The Bible is very gay,” he said. “It’s all about men. This is the result of a patriarchy that has lasted for centuries. Jesus was single, never married; the disciples were all guys …”
Sufjan Stevens about art, sensuality and faith
He also spoke about religious art and her physical representations: “[Sie] is very sexual. It is erotic. Check out the Catholic art through the centuries, baroque art – all very meatful, sensual, full of naked body. “
He describes his own relationship with God as “intimate and sensual”. For him, the Eucharist (thanks) is a particularly symbolic ritual: “You literally eat the meat and drink the blood of God … it is not more erotic. If you are a vampire, that’s the ultimate erotic experience.”
Sufjan Stevens: Nothing is too personal for him
Sufjan Stevens has increasingly withdrawn from the public in recent years. His album Carrie & Lowell, published in 2015, which processes a childhood between faith, loss and instability, is considered one of his most personal works. In October 2023 he released Javelin-a few weeks after he made known that he was suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Shortly before publication, he wrote on Instagram that he dedicated the album to his late partner Evans Richardson: “He was absolutely complete. He was the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend.” Sufjan Stevens lives openly queer and addresses spirituality, love and transience in many of his work.