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The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s
The origins of our postsecular present, revealed in a vivid, groundbreaking account of the moment when popular culture became the site of religious conflict.
The 1980s are usually seen as a slick, shrill decade. The Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers urged "Death to America"; Ronald Reagan was in the White House, backed by the Moral Majority; John Paul II was asserting Catholic traditionalism and denouncing homosexuality, as were the televangelists on cable TV. And yet "crypto-religious" artists pushed back against the spirit of the age, venturing into vexed areas where politicians and clergy were loath to go—and anticipating the postsecular age we are living in today.
That is the story Paul Elie tells in this enthralling group portrait. Here's Leonard Cohen writing "Hallelujah" in a Times Square hotel room; Andy Warhol adapting Leonardo's The Last Supper in response to the AIDS crisis; Prince making the cross and altar into "signs of the times." Through Toni Morrison the spirits of the enslaved speak from the grave; Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen deepen the tent-revival intensity of their work; U2, Morrissey, and Sinéad O'Connor give voice to the anguish of young people who were raised religious; Wim Wenders offers an angel's-eye view of Berlin. And Martin Scorsese overcomes fundamentalist opposition to make The Last Temptation of Christ—a struggle that anticipates Salman Rushdie's struggle with Islam in The Satanic Verses.
The 1980s are usually seen as a slick, shrill decade. The Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers urged "Death to America"; Ronald Reagan was in the White House, backed by the Moral Majority; John Paul II was asserting Catholic traditionalism and denouncing homosexuality, as were the televangelists on cable TV. And yet "crypto-religious" artists pushed back against the spirit of the age, venturing into vexed areas where politicians and clergy were loath to go—and anticipating the postsecular age we are living in today.
That is the story Paul Elie tells in this enthralling group portrait. Here's Leonard Cohen writing "Hallelujah" in a Times Square hotel room; Andy Warhol adapting Leonardo's The Last Supper in response to the AIDS crisis; Prince making the cross and altar into "signs of the times." Through Toni Morrison the spirits of the enslaved speak from the grave; Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen deepen the tent-revival intensity of their work; U2, Morrissey, and Sinéad O'Connor give voice to the anguish of young people who were raised religious; Wim Wenders offers an angel's-eye view of Berlin. And Martin Scorsese overcomes fundamentalist opposition to make The Last Temptation of Christ—a struggle that anticipates Salman Rushdie's struggle with Islam in The Satanic Verses.
486 pages, Hardcover
Published May 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 15, 2025
Let's call this a strong 3.5 stars. It's a grim and complicated look at the 1980s from angles that tend to be sidelined in the mad rush to celebrate the decade's pop culture impact. But I'm not entirely sure it achieves all its objectives -- a bit more editing and conciseness would go a long way in trimming too much fatty tissue minutiae. It rambles in compelling fashion, but I wish it was more of a knife-slice.
May 18, 2025
Loved this partially but not solely for reasons of nostalgia. Sometimes the author takes flights of fancy fitting various artists into his "crypto-religious" narrative by cherry-picking a lyric or a stray line; he could have shaved 50 pages off this just by excising them. But there really was a lot of religious exploration, discussion, and protest in this period, from The Last Temptation of Christ to the Madonna Like a Prayer video to Andres Serrano and more. And this pinpoints the introduction of the culture wars from the perspective of the artists who pushed boundaries, rather than the self-described guardians of family values. All of this in the backdrop of the AIDS virus consuming whole populations without intercession from the government. Great cultural criticism here.
July 30, 2025
So much I didn't know or remember about the 70s and 80s and the "crypto-religious" artists who dominated the culture.
September 4, 2025
Roughly 60 pages in and I'm giving the side eye to the author for using Lucy Sante's deadname. Twice. The first time I thought it was for clarity's sake, but then it happened a second time. She's also listed in the index under her deadname. Why not refer to her as "Lucy Sante (formerly known as [deadname])" if you feel it's that crucial? But really, I don't think the deadname is necessary and it's also disrespectful.
Edited to add that maybe this is the Chicago Manual of Style recommendation of how to handle the situation (I didn't check), but it still feels disrespectful.
Edited to add that maybe this is the Chicago Manual of Style recommendation of how to handle the situation (I didn't check), but it still feels disrespectful.
May 18, 2026
Summary: On controversial artists of the 1980’s, discussing the intersection of sexuality and spirituality in crypto-religious works.
The title of this book refers to the final work of Andy Warhol, one of the major figures chronicled in this cultural history of the 1980’s. But it also signifies the kind of book this is. Warhol’s “The Last Supper” is a series (totally about 100 works) of Warhol’s renderings of da Vinci’s work under the same title. Warhol, like many of the artistic figures on the pages of this book, is followed from his Catholic beginnings in Pittsburgh until his death in 1987.
Paul Elie traces the religiosity of Warhol, who after a near-death experience, attended Mass weekly. Furthermore, he explores what he calls the “crypto-religious” element in his art, most apparent in this final body of work. By “crypto-religious” he means hidden or unconventionally used religious symbols or references, sometimes offering an unconventional take on religion. Not only that, Elie portrays him as a “controvert,” one at odds with oneself on matters of belief. He explores Warhol’s closeted homosexuality and his efforts to reconcile his identity with the church’s stance on his sexuality
These themes run through the more or less chronological history of many of the controversial artists of the 1980’s. He opens the book with Bob Dylan’s “Christian” phase marked by the release of Slow Train Coming with it hit song, “Serve Someone.” He then follows the fan response and Dylan’s continued musical evolution and intersection with other artists through the 1980’s.
What follows is an exploration of the lives and work of artists in various media and the controversy their lives and work arouse. Much of this centers around a sense of alienation and yet longing for faith. It often reflects disillusionment with formal religious structures. The crypto-religious elements express both resistance, sometimes to the point of transgression and yet spiritual longing. Sinead O’Connor tears up a photograph of the Pope as she performs on SNL. Madonna dresses seductively and yet sings “Like a Prayer.” Leonard Cohen has many lovers but also writes “Hallelujah.”
Then in film, Martin Scorsese devotes fifteen years to the religiously motivated filming of Nikos Kazantzakis’ The Last Temptation of Christ. The book and movie arouse controversy because of the “alternate life vision” Jesus has on the cross of marriage to Mary Magdalene. Scorsese felt the work explored the deep humanness of Jesus in contrast to so many film portrayals of Jesus. But the critics thought it blasphemy.
Elie also considers writers including poet Czeslaw Milosz, Toni Morrison and James Baldwin, and even Salman Rushdie. The latter’s human portrayal of the prophet in The Satanic Verses resulted in a fatwa, which remains to this day. Rushdie, like other artists, represents those resisting a religion, that in its behavior contrasts with its highest ideals.
For many of the artists in this book who were raised Catholic, they wrestled with the contradictions in the Church’s response, first to homosexuality, and then to the rampant AIDS epidemic that burned through New York and San Francisco in the mid to late 1980’s. We see the contrast between figures like Daniel Berrigan, comforting the dying, and Cardinal O’Connor. Meanwhile, the first revelations of sexual abuse by priests and the coverups are coming out.
One of the more troubling aspects of the “controvert” character of some of the artists is the celebration of “transgressive sexuality.” For instance, we might consider some of the graphic photographic portrayals in Mapplethorpe’s X Portfolio. Is the response to hypocrisy, repressiveness or flawed understandings of the body to throw off all norms and boundaries? Are we to normalize whatever one would do with one’s body (perhaps with the proviso of “consent”)?
What these artists do reveal is the complexity involved in our sexuality and spirituality. Often, we refer to the “mash-up” of different religions as religious syncretism. I wonder if there is a kind of “sexual-spiritual syncretism” of those who identify as spiritual, or even with a given religion, yet pursue sexual practices at variance with the norms of that religion? It seems that at least some of the portrayals in Elie’s book fall into this category.
Paul Elie not only offers a fascinating cultural narrative of the 1980’s, a walk down memory lane for some. He also raises interesting questions about the controversial artists of this period. His exploration of “crypto-religiosity” challenges us to listen more closely to those we might too quickly dismiss. And he shows how artists of the 1980’s, aware of both bodily and spiritual longings, did not bracket these off from each other. It challenges religious thinkers and teachers to join artists and culture critics wrestling with the realities of our embodied lives.
The title of this book refers to the final work of Andy Warhol, one of the major figures chronicled in this cultural history of the 1980’s. But it also signifies the kind of book this is. Warhol’s “The Last Supper” is a series (totally about 100 works) of Warhol’s renderings of da Vinci’s work under the same title. Warhol, like many of the artistic figures on the pages of this book, is followed from his Catholic beginnings in Pittsburgh until his death in 1987.
Paul Elie traces the religiosity of Warhol, who after a near-death experience, attended Mass weekly. Furthermore, he explores what he calls the “crypto-religious” element in his art, most apparent in this final body of work. By “crypto-religious” he means hidden or unconventionally used religious symbols or references, sometimes offering an unconventional take on religion. Not only that, Elie portrays him as a “controvert,” one at odds with oneself on matters of belief. He explores Warhol’s closeted homosexuality and his efforts to reconcile his identity with the church’s stance on his sexuality
These themes run through the more or less chronological history of many of the controversial artists of the 1980’s. He opens the book with Bob Dylan’s “Christian” phase marked by the release of Slow Train Coming with it hit song, “Serve Someone.” He then follows the fan response and Dylan’s continued musical evolution and intersection with other artists through the 1980’s.
What follows is an exploration of the lives and work of artists in various media and the controversy their lives and work arouse. Much of this centers around a sense of alienation and yet longing for faith. It often reflects disillusionment with formal religious structures. The crypto-religious elements express both resistance, sometimes to the point of transgression and yet spiritual longing. Sinead O’Connor tears up a photograph of the Pope as she performs on SNL. Madonna dresses seductively and yet sings “Like a Prayer.” Leonard Cohen has many lovers but also writes “Hallelujah.”
Then in film, Martin Scorsese devotes fifteen years to the religiously motivated filming of Nikos Kazantzakis’ The Last Temptation of Christ. The book and movie arouse controversy because of the “alternate life vision” Jesus has on the cross of marriage to Mary Magdalene. Scorsese felt the work explored the deep humanness of Jesus in contrast to so many film portrayals of Jesus. But the critics thought it blasphemy.
Elie also considers writers including poet Czeslaw Milosz, Toni Morrison and James Baldwin, and even Salman Rushdie. The latter’s human portrayal of the prophet in The Satanic Verses resulted in a fatwa, which remains to this day. Rushdie, like other artists, represents those resisting a religion, that in its behavior contrasts with its highest ideals.
For many of the artists in this book who were raised Catholic, they wrestled with the contradictions in the Church’s response, first to homosexuality, and then to the rampant AIDS epidemic that burned through New York and San Francisco in the mid to late 1980’s. We see the contrast between figures like Daniel Berrigan, comforting the dying, and Cardinal O’Connor. Meanwhile, the first revelations of sexual abuse by priests and the coverups are coming out.
One of the more troubling aspects of the “controvert” character of some of the artists is the celebration of “transgressive sexuality.” For instance, we might consider some of the graphic photographic portrayals in Mapplethorpe’s X Portfolio. Is the response to hypocrisy, repressiveness or flawed understandings of the body to throw off all norms and boundaries? Are we to normalize whatever one would do with one’s body (perhaps with the proviso of “consent”)?
What these artists do reveal is the complexity involved in our sexuality and spirituality. Often, we refer to the “mash-up” of different religions as religious syncretism. I wonder if there is a kind of “sexual-spiritual syncretism” of those who identify as spiritual, or even with a given religion, yet pursue sexual practices at variance with the norms of that religion? It seems that at least some of the portrayals in Elie’s book fall into this category.
Paul Elie not only offers a fascinating cultural narrative of the 1980’s, a walk down memory lane for some. He also raises interesting questions about the controversial artists of this period. His exploration of “crypto-religiosity” challenges us to listen more closely to those we might too quickly dismiss. And he shows how artists of the 1980’s, aware of both bodily and spiritual longings, did not bracket these off from each other. It challenges religious thinkers and teachers to join artists and culture critics wrestling with the realities of our embodied lives.
July 8, 2025
The title of the book is inspired by a series of paintings and sketches by Andy Warhol, made in the 1980s (obviously based on the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci).
The author discusses numerous artists, writers, and musicians who he feels were religiously motivated during the 1980s. They either “found” or “rediscovered religion”. Some questioned the values of religion. The author coins the term “crypto-religious”.
For the most part the religion under examination is Catholicism and the rigid line taken by the pope; who declared homosexuality a sin, forbade the use of condoms (as well as other forms of birth control), forbade pre-marital sex… in fact, any form of sexual pleasure that was not concerned with procreation).
A significant portion of the book is about musicians adapting their lyrics and music to religion – like Bob Dylan, Bono and U2, Leonard Cohen… There was too much emphasis on their performances and lyrics. The author was overly lavish in his praise and outright veneration of them.
Of more interest were the passages on artists Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano, and the writer Salmon Rushdie. The author brought up Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” and the attempts by the religious right to prevent it from appearing in movie theaters. It goes without saying that many were offended by the depiction of Jesus having a sexual encounter.
Overall, this book was disappointing. It was much too long, with a lot of repetitiveness on musicians and their lyrics. There should have been more about the religious rights attempts to suppress art they found offensive. It strays off the theme of the subtitle of the book (art, faith and sex), which is religion versus art and culture.
The author does make a good point that it was during the 1980s that abuse of underage children by priests and others in the Catholic hierarchy, started to surface and rather than trying to solve this, they re-aimed instead at persecuting the gay community and attacking the art world for its portrayals of religion. The artists became the scapegoats and the church the victims.
Page 384
Scorsese, Madonna, Serrano and Mapplethorpe had made the unspeakable speakable.
The hate of the religious right was focused on the emerging gay communities across the United States and the spread of AIDS. While it is true that gay rights were a large part of the culture wars of the 1980s, the author barely mentions that a much larger part of the culture wars was the fight of the religious right to deny women the right to abortion.
Page 407
Religion is cryptic. Its cryptic quality is its animating spirit – its style, its power, its wisdom, its original sin.
Maybe, but religion is foremost about control – control of bodies, more so women’s bodies.
The author discusses numerous artists, writers, and musicians who he feels were religiously motivated during the 1980s. They either “found” or “rediscovered religion”. Some questioned the values of religion. The author coins the term “crypto-religious”.
For the most part the religion under examination is Catholicism and the rigid line taken by the pope; who declared homosexuality a sin, forbade the use of condoms (as well as other forms of birth control), forbade pre-marital sex… in fact, any form of sexual pleasure that was not concerned with procreation).
A significant portion of the book is about musicians adapting their lyrics and music to religion – like Bob Dylan, Bono and U2, Leonard Cohen… There was too much emphasis on their performances and lyrics. The author was overly lavish in his praise and outright veneration of them.
Of more interest were the passages on artists Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano, and the writer Salmon Rushdie. The author brought up Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” and the attempts by the religious right to prevent it from appearing in movie theaters. It goes without saying that many were offended by the depiction of Jesus having a sexual encounter.
Overall, this book was disappointing. It was much too long, with a lot of repetitiveness on musicians and their lyrics. There should have been more about the religious rights attempts to suppress art they found offensive. It strays off the theme of the subtitle of the book (art, faith and sex), which is religion versus art and culture.
The author does make a good point that it was during the 1980s that abuse of underage children by priests and others in the Catholic hierarchy, started to surface and rather than trying to solve this, they re-aimed instead at persecuting the gay community and attacking the art world for its portrayals of religion. The artists became the scapegoats and the church the victims.
Page 384
Scorsese, Madonna, Serrano and Mapplethorpe had made the unspeakable speakable.
The hate of the religious right was focused on the emerging gay communities across the United States and the spread of AIDS. While it is true that gay rights were a large part of the culture wars of the 1980s, the author barely mentions that a much larger part of the culture wars was the fight of the religious right to deny women the right to abortion.
Page 407
Religion is cryptic. Its cryptic quality is its animating spirit – its style, its power, its wisdom, its original sin.
Maybe, but religion is foremost about control – control of bodies, more so women’s bodies.
May 30, 2025
The Last Supper by Paul Elie, this book is about those who used religion as a backdrop or theme in books movies art etc from David Bowie to Madonna and even Martin Scorsese or mentioned in the book but these are just a few of many well-known names that colored my life as I grew up. I found a lot of of this book very interesting especially the connection between Martin Scorsese the last temptation of Christ and Michael Jackson’s bad video it seems Mr. Eli left nothing out. He even talked about the Wall Street collapse in the 80s black Monday and so much more. there was a lot I thought he would mention that didn’t get talked about as it’s mainly the 80s he sticks to but if you were alive and conscious of the guys then you will definitely enjoy reading this book. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #PaulEli, #TheLastSupper, The Last Supper by Paul Eli, this book is about those who used religion as a backdrop or theme in books movies art etc from David Bowie to Madonna and even Martin Scorsese or mentioned in the book but these are just a few of many well-known names that colored my life as I grew up. I found a lot of of this book very interesting especially the connection between Martin Scorsese the last temptation of Christ and Michael Jackson’s bad video it seems Mr. Elie left nothing out. He even talked about the Wall Street collapse in the 80s black Monday and so much more. there was a lot I thought he would mention that didn’t get talked about as it’s mainly the 80s he sticks to but if you were alive and conscious of the era’s Zeitgeist then you will definitely enjoy reading this book. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #PaulElie, #TheLastSupper,
August 25, 2025
The focus of this book is right up my alley, but I had two concerns.
The first is that while the author identifies plenty of "crypto-religious" work in the 1980s, I'm not sure he ever made it add up to much. Like, yes, Madonna's work is deeply informed by Catholicism. But what does that have to do with Leonard Cohen's Jewish inflected Buddhism (or Buddhist inflected Judaism)? Or Toni Morrison's haunted Beloved? Or Warhol's irony-drenched Last Supper? There are lots of anecdotes, but the book ends up feeling like less than the sum of its parts.
The second is that, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot bring myself to care about Bono or U2. Thanks, but no.
The first is that while the author identifies plenty of "crypto-religious" work in the 1980s, I'm not sure he ever made it add up to much. Like, yes, Madonna's work is deeply informed by Catholicism. But what does that have to do with Leonard Cohen's Jewish inflected Buddhism (or Buddhist inflected Judaism)? Or Toni Morrison's haunted Beloved? Or Warhol's irony-drenched Last Supper? There are lots of anecdotes, but the book ends up feeling like less than the sum of its parts.
The second is that, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot bring myself to care about Bono or U2. Thanks, but no.
December 8, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this tour of 1980s and the ‘controverts’ (mostly Catholic) whose art, music, and films shaped this tumultuous era (amid the devastating AIDS crises, the Catholic Church’s abismal response to it, and the beginnings of the culture war which continues to rage today). The book could have used some significant trimming, though, and while his analysis is good, I could have used more of it (case in point: during the epilogue, Ellie continues to introduce and summarize more books and artworks, rather than give us a good summary of the 400 pages of coverage that came before).
March 12, 2025
This is a particular angle I've always wanted to see on popular and art history forthe 80s (specifically the growing rebellion against religion, especially Christianity, as the dominant force in peoples' lives, and various examples of major figures of the times own personal believes and some of the art that was made during this time. Hell of a read, in the best kind of way.
June 26, 2025
This book is very cool. It's a cultural history of mid-to-late 20th century America that plays the hits( Warhol, Leonard Cohen, Madonna) but refracts this traditional folk tale through an examination of his character's "crypto"-Catholicism( a vibes based variant of Catholicism for the weakened dogma and church of the secular age.)
September 23, 2025
This fascinating book explores crypto-religious elements in various mainstream works of art (Scorsese, Madonna, Andy Warhol, Leonard Cohen, to make a few) in the 1980s. My only complain is we need something like this for the ‘90s!!
October 8, 2025
me: thank you for changing my life
Paul Elie: i’m literally just a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and a regular contributor to the New Yorker
Paul Elie: i’m literally just a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and a regular contributor to the New Yorker
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June 24, 2025Read my review in America Magazine here: https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-...
August 9, 2025
Religious iconography and pop culture. Enough said. This was such an invigorating read for me. Reading slump gone.
September 25, 2025
A solid cultural history that tries, and often succeeds in pulling multiple threads together.
October 1, 2025
Learned some new things from this book and the crypto-religious artist of the 80s. What more can I ask from a book!
May 21, 2026
Liked this a lot but it could’ve been edited down like 80 pages ! Also was not expecting there to be as much U2 and Bono content as there was
January 2, 2026
Religion is at once everywhere and nowhere in art. This book, similarly, is at once everywhere and nowhere.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews