Cathleen Falsani wrote the book “Belieber: Fame, Faith and the Heart of Justin Bieber” about Bieber’s faith, and she believes his recent physical transformation is the act of a 17-year-old settling into spiritual life.
“I think that’s what we’re seeing Justin do now, whether it’s in his choice of body art or in how he has, in recent months, been more explicitly vocal -- unprompted, largely -- about his faith,” Falsani said. “His is a nuanced articulation of faith, which, to my ear, speaks both to how genuine it is and how it is evolving and becoming his own.”