Religion Quotes in Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

"You don't even know how good you are, do you? That makes it even better!" she declares with lip-smacking enthusiasm, then gives him a fierce fast hug, as if grasping a buoy before the storm tears her away. Billy practically keels over in a delirium of bliss. How wonderful, how absolutely holy to be appreciated for yourself, to be handled, petted, groped, pawed, and generally hungered over. (Future.96)

We thought that "holy" was an interesting word choice in this situation. Yes, being appreciated is something that totally gives you the warm fuzzies, but for someone who's so averse to church-talk, the use of the word holy is kind of a surprise. Maybe holiness and religion are not necessarily always linked together?