{"product_id":"sufjan-stevens-carrie-lowell-9798765132760","title":"Sufjan Stevens' Carrie \u0026 Lowell","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUpon the release of Sufjan Stevens' seventh studio album, \u003ci\u003eCarrie \u0026amp; Lowell\u003c\/i\u003e, two divergent groups found themselves as strange bedfellows: the LGBTQIA+ community and American evangelical Christians. Both were united in praise for Stevens' beautifully melancholic music.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Critically acclaimed as one of the best albums of 2015, the elegiac and intimate record about the death of Sufjan's estranged mother reflects the musician's own paradoxical posture-\u003ci\u003eCarrie \u0026amp; Lowell \u003c\/i\u003eis both sacred \u003ci\u003eand \u003c\/i\u003eprofane, Christian \u003ci\u003eand\u003c\/i\u003e queer, traditional \u003ci\u003eand \u003c\/i\u003eprogressive, despairing \u003ci\u003eand\u003c\/i\u003e hopeful. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Theologian and cultural critic Joel Mayward considers \u003ci\u003eCarrie \u0026amp; Lowell \u003c\/i\u003eas a mystical metamodern \u003ci\u003ememento mori\u003c\/i\u003e, Sufjan's symphonic (as opposed to systematic) approach to the questions of mortality, sexuality, and God. Fusing critical observations with personal narrative, Mayward examines the unique audience reception of \u003ci\u003eCarrie \u0026amp; Lowell \u003c\/i\u003eand the questions it raises: in a world of division, how might Stevens' affecting music act as a bridge of love between seemingly irreconcilable communities? As \u003ci\u003eCarrie \u0026amp; Lowell \u003c\/i\u003ereminds us of the painful truth that \"we're all gonna die,\" perhaps it also offers a glimpse of transcendence and hope on this side of death.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJoel Mayward\u003c\/b\u003e is Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, Theology and the Arts at George Fox University in Oregon, USA. He is author of six books including \u003ci\u003eThe Dardenne Brothers' Cinematic Parables: Integrating Theology, Philosophy, and Film \u003c\/i\u003e(2022) and \u003ci\u003eTheology and the Films of Christopher Nolan: Cinematic Transcendence \u003c\/i\u003e(2025). He is also a cultural critic and writes about the intersection of art and religion.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51705389646098,"sku":"9798765132760","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_7cebf471-3df9-4631-a6c0-ad02aa4b501d.jpg?v=1762346634","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/sufjan-stevens-carrie-lowell-9798765132760","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}