One of the authors behind a new Bible that replaces the word 'God' with 'Kanye West' has defended the self-published work as an exposition of celebrity worship in today's society.

The co-author revealed his thoughts behind The Book of Yeezus in an interview with The Christian Post in which he asked that his identity be kept a secret. 

The Book of Yeezus is subtitled "A Bible for the modern day" and has provoked the ire of some Christians who feel it is blasphemous and offensive.

Throughout the book, the name of rapper Kanye West appears in place of the word "God" and the co-author interviewed by The Christian Post explained that this was an attempt to highlight the modern-day phenomenon of celebrity worship in place of traditional spiritual icons.

He hopes that readers will get the point.

"So we're not casting any judgments, we're simply shining a light on this and the fact people are making their own interpretations and their own judgements – that was the intention," he said.

"We wanted people to reflect on that part of society, which is not to say that we believe it's good or it's bad – that's open to interpretation and that was the intention."

And it's not because he and his two brothers, with whom he penned The Book of Yeezus, worship Kanye West as a religious figure.

"You know, we all appreciate Kanye's music I think to a certain extent we all admire him as a popular cultural figure and that's no small feat for any individual. To say that we are 100 percent devoted to him in a religious worshipping way is probably inaccurate and a great overstatement - that was never our intention," he explained.

He also accepts that some people might be upset by the book and Christians have a "legitimate" reason to feel offended.

But that reason is not strong enough to make him apologize and instead he wants people to see the book as an "interventionist art piece" - something "expected" that has been given "new meaning because it's been twisted". 

He hopes people see the irony of The Book of Yeezus elevating West to the status of God, something the rapper has himself done in the past.

"Not only does this guy call himself a God and not only is he incredibly egotistical but in a way the irony is that he's kind of right. Because he has come to a place where ... the role that God has played in our lives our spiritual figures have been replaced by media icons...we found Yeezus or Kanye to fill that void," he said.