“These days I’m taking my last name seriously,” says Levi Kreis, a former Christian musician from Tennessee who spent six years in reparative therapy before finally embracing his homosexuality. He’s joking, of course, but the ex-preacher has become a savior of sorts for conflicted gay Christians all over the country by being a voice of rhyme and reason. Hot off last year’s Gay.com tour, during which he opened for Cyndi Lauper at the closing ceremonies of Chicago’s Gay Games, Kreis gives us the good word on his button-pushing new album, The Gospel According to Levi.

HX: With songs like “In the Name of God,” “Bittersweet Salvation” and “The Reckoning,” some might confuse Gospel for a Christian album.
Levi Kreis: It wouldn’t bother me, because I love everything I do to carry an undercurrent of faith. I used to be a Christian, and because I’ve been trained to associate love and honesty with that belief system, I still use that language. It’s because I was like, “Okay people, if we’re going to talk about love, then let’s talk about what love is and how we haven’t made it a priority in the Christian theology.”

Why tackle those demons now?
I’ve always wanted to make a project that was lyrically therapeutic for me. I wrote it during a time when I was addressing some major psychological damage, and I was having a hard time seeing gay men in a positive light. I had to get real with myself. I had to stop demonizing myself. I wanted to make sure I balanced the confrontation with love, so I tried to listen to everything very lighthearted, hooky and appeal to a pop sensibility to counteract the heaviness of the lyrics.

Writing this must’ve been very therapeutic.
It was. And I’m already getting some great feedback from people who have never heard anyone share the hurt that we’ve gone through. So many others share the experience before.

Is there any bitterness here?
There is. I still have hard feelings toward the church, which is why the last track is so significant to me. It’s called “It Is Well With My Soul,” and it’s my attempt to reconcile all this pain. I still have questions and anger, but I want to put that behind me and always come back to love.

Do you have a boyfriend?
I’m actually involved with a wonderful guy. We had a commitment ceremony. Our domestic partnership is a very sacred thing.

Does that mean we can’t make out when you come to New York?
Well, if I’m bucking the system of Christianity, perhaps I bucking the idea of a Judeo-Christian monogamous relationship. [laughs]

DRAWN TO HIM
The cover art for Kreis’ The Gospel According to Levi could have only been created by well-known gay illustrator Joe Phillips, who’s done ads for everything from Bud Light to ID Lube, and has previously drawn queer crooner Ari Gold.

“I just thought it would be more tongue-in-cheek to do an animated version as opposed to me really posing as Jesus Christ”, Kreis says. “It gives the album a little lightheartedness that it needs.” For more on Joe Phillips, log onto joephillips.com.

“I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I BALANCED THE CONFRONTATION WITH LOVE.”

The Gospel According to Levi, out Jan. 30. Kreis performs 10pm Sun., Jan. 28 @ Rockwood Music Hall, 184 Allen Street (E. Houston), 212-477-4155. 10pm Wed., Jan. 31 @ Vlada Club Martini, 331 W 51st St, 212-974-8030, clubmartini.com