Imaginary Jesus

Imaginary Jesus, by Matt Mikalatos, is not like any book you've ever read. Which is a good thing, and a bad thing.

It's a good thing because it is a refreshing, creative, impossible-to-categorize story of Matt's search for the real Jesus, rather than the imaginary Jesus (or Jesuses) of his own creation.

It's a bad thing because it's kind of too bad more writers and publishers don't take flights of fancy (and profundity) like this.

It's a good thing because it was so enjoyable and absorbing, I actually cancelled some of my plans for the day so I could keep reading, and finished it in less than twenty-four hours.

It's a bad thing because I'm self-employed, and I don't get paid to read.

But it's a good thing because Imaginary Jesus exposes as frauds some of the many Jesuses-of-our-own-creation and makes the reader hungry to find the REAL Jesus.

It's a bad thing because, in the process, he steps on some toes. Toes that need stepping on, sure, but it still hurts.

It's a good thing because it's often laugh-out-loud funny and occasionally moving and profound.

It's bad, though, because....well, I didn't write it. I hate that.

It's good, though, because...well, you should read it. You really should.

Imaginary Jesus is a helter-skelter, "not-quite-fiction" ride through the imagination of Matt Mikalatos as he attempts to humorously point out how we in 21st century American evangelicalism often create our own ideas of what or who Jesus is. From "King James Jesus," "Magic 8-ball Jesus" and "Testosterone Jesus" to "Free Will Jesus," "New Age Jesus" and "Meticulous Jesus," Mikalatos paints an absurdly funny narrative of someone trying to find out just who the REAL Jesus is. Accompanied by the Apostle Peter and a talking donkey (who I'm convinced is included only so King James Jesus can hurl the threat "Thine ass is mine!"), Mikalatos' journey gets personal in a few places where he talks about his own struggles of faith and his questions to the many Jesuses about his goodness and power.

Imaginary Jesus is one of those books that makes you laugh, makes you think and often makes you wonder "Where in the world is this going?" I laughed quite frequently at Mikalatos' many variations of "Jesus." The word pictures he creates will draw you into the story and make you feel like you are a part of the action. The book doesn't take itself too seriously, but that is perhaps its one major downfall. There are some serious questions of the goodness of God and faith in Jesus that are raised, but they are surrounded by the high-speed chase scenes (Mikalatos chasing fake Jesuses then fake Jesuses chasing Mikalatos), hijinx and silliness. When the real Jesus finally comes into view and offers answers, I got a feeling of mental whiplash at the sudden change in tone, only to reverse back to the silliness later.

In my experience, I've found that, in general, authors should not read their own books. While they might be great authors, they make lousy readers. Matt Mikalatos is one author who certainly does not fit into that generalization. He narrates the audio version of his book available from ChristianAudio (who provided me a copy of this book to review) and shows that he has the ability not only to be a story writer but also an excellent story teller.

Overall, Imaginary Jesus is more of a diversionary read than anything else, but it's definitely a fun read.

Have you ever wanted to talk with Jesus? Like, sitting down with him for lunch and having a casual face to face conversation? That's what Matt Mikalatos does at the beginning of Imaginary Jesus, a sort-of true story. Only this guy Matt's having chili with isn't Jesus. He's an Imaginary Jesus, but Matt isn't aware of this until the apostle Peter joins them and punches Jesus - the imaginary one.

Matt then goes on a journey with Peter (Pete) and they join up with Daisy, a talking donkey who is going to help Matt on his journey to discover the real Jesus. Along the way they meet Testosterone Jesus, Magic 8 Ball Jesus, Free Will Jesus, Political Jesus, Catholic Jesus, Protestant Jesus, some Mormons, and a bunch more imaginary Jesus's. I was expecting a book similar to Philip Yancey's, The Jesus I Never Knew. What I got was...completely different from anything I can ever remember reading.

I think it was supposed to be funny, but don't quote me on that.

I also think it was supposed to be insightful. And there were actually a few areas where it was. A couple of chapters dealt with Matt's interactions with some Mormon missionaries. I found those interesting, insightful, and they provided a welcome relief from the imaginary Jesus mayhem, though the Mormon chapters also felt a bit random in their inclusion. There were also a few times where Matt visited an Atheist Bible study, and these sections also tended to be interesting. The people he interacted with actually felt real, and like the interaction with the Mormons, they felt like something that did actually happen (the true part of the `sort-of' true story). I also felt these areas were the most focused. The rest seemed to be a blur of...imaginary Jesus's.

Overall, the rest of the book was too bizarre for me. A quote on the cover compares it to Monty Python meeting C.S. Lewis, and I think both comparisons are a huge stretch. The humor fell flat for me, and I felt like Matt was spending too much time trying to figure out the different sorts of Jesus's rather than trying to truly interact with the point of the book. Everyone has an idea of who Jesus is, and some versions of Jesus do have elements of truth in them, which the book rightfully points out, but not all present the full picture. The idea behind the book is great, but the presentation was weak, oddly paced, and at times unfocused.

That said, if you liked Matt's Night of the Living Dead Christian (which I haven't read), you may like this book, though I'm not sure how similar they were.

1.5/5 stars

I received this book free from Tyndale. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

If you know me, you know I like free books. I also like gadgets. So when Matt Mikalatos (Twitter link) tweeted that he was giving away digital copies of his book Imaginary Jesus, I thought, "What the heck? I'll check it out."

I read the first chapter (Chapter Zero, for those of you keeping count), and I was hooked. In this fun combination of personal memoir, allegory, and fantasy fiction, Matt is at a yuppie vegan cafe in Portland with flesh-and-blood Jesus when a guy named Pete approaches and punches him in the face. Read the scene:

"That--" Pete pointed out the window at the racing back of my Lord--"that was an imaginary Jesus, my friend. And now that we're on to him, he's going to run."

I crossed my arms and frowned. "I've known Jesus for a long time. What makes you think that you know him better than I do?"

"Because," Pete said, heading for the door, "I'm the Apostle Peter."

I won't lie - this is a strange story. But it's brilliant. Matt's writing is in the same vein as C.S. Lewis in A Pilgrim's Regress, but not on the same level (sorry Matt - you're good, but not that good). But the story in terrific. With the help of the Apostle Peter, a former prostitute, a talking donkey, and Mary, Matt takes on his Imaginary Jesus, and battles it out with other Imaginary Jesuses in the process, to find the true Jesus of Nazareth and begin to really understand Christianity.

Other Jesuses we meet are King James Jesus (quite the strict one - "It was centuries before he even allowed New King James Jesus to exist."), Liberal Social Services Jesus ("He thinks the best way to tell people about God is through service, because he never talks about God. He's great to have around because he keeps the place spotless."), Conservative Truth-Telling Jesus ("He has no arms. He thinks the only way to tell people about God is through hard truth, and he never raises a hand to help people with their physical needs."), Magic 8-ball Jesus (who has twenty replies: ten positive, five negative, and five neutral), Perpetually Angry Jesus (apparently, he's the Calvinist Jesus that Mark Driscoll worships), Testosterone Jesus (a popular men's retreat speaker), and Harley Jesus. There are more, but you need to read the book.

So you think you know Jesus huh? What's he like? Does he talk to you? Have you ever chatted with him over a cup of coffee? Is he with you always? REALLY? What about the time your life fell apart and you were left completely devastated and alone--where was he then?

In Imaginary Jesus, Matt Mikalatos is in pursuit of Jesus, trying his best to follow him, but discovers it's not easy when Jesus is on the run! The Jesus Matt has been hanging out with might just be a figment of his own imagination. In his efforts to find the real Jesus, Matt encounters more than one--maybe even your--imaginary Jesus!

This hilarious journey will have you doing some soul-searching. Will you be able to recognize the real Jesus?

I enjoyed this book. I started reading with a little hesitation because I was not a big fan of The Shack, fiction, which attempted to give the reader a different perspective on God and the Trinity. I wasn't sure I was ready to tackle another half-truth half-fiction book about the person of Jesus Christ. I was pleasantly surprise with Imaginary Jesus.

With wit and a wonderful sense of humor, Matt uses fiction and his wild imagination to plant many questions and seeds of truth in the readers' minds. If you've ever wondered where Jesus was when you needed him most, this book will be a blessing to you.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review. This review is my honest opinion. A link to the trailer was provided to me by Tyndale House Publishers.
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You want the truth? When I opened my copy of "Imaginary Jesus" by Matt Mikalatos, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not. The back cover of the book mentions Jesus getting punched in the face...not the REAL Jesus mind you...Matt's Imaginary Jesus. I thought this might be far too irreverent for me...maybe some new age attempt at understanding Christianity.

I decided to give it a shot and am so glad I did. Matt writes in a way that had me racing back to the book as soon as I had a spare minute! I actually looked forward to the few minutes at a time that I wasn't wiping someones nose or changing a diaper so I could open back up to my dog-eared page and see what was happening with Matt and "Jesus".

Then it hit me...I actually felt convicted while reading this funny little book. One that I certainly did not expect to hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought I would just add this to my list of "yeah, I read it but learned nothing and was slightly amused" books. Boy, was I wrong.

This book hit me right where it hurts...causing me to really take a look at the "Jesus" I have created in my life, one that suits me just fine, thank you. One that doesn't step on my toes too much, one that is who I want him to be.

Run, don't walk to your nearest bookstore, online book shop, heck, just come borrow mine! But bring it back quickly...I definitely plan to read it again!

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

With a title like My Imaginary Jesus, you might think this book was sacrilegious but you'd be mistaken. Matt Mikalatos has taken this strange idea and used it to readers face to face with some (hard?) spiritual truths.

Matt stars as the protagonist of this story, a Christian who discovers the Jesus who accompanies him is imaginary. He meets the Apostle Peter and a talking donkey named Daisy who join him as he tries to discover who the real Jesus is (just writing that seems absurd). Along the way, Matt meets many other Jesuses: Testosterone Jesus, Magic 8-Ball Jesus, Legalist Jesus, TV Jesus, Free Will Jesus, and a multitude of others (again, it sounds sacrilegious). At times almost too over-the-top, My Imaginary Jesus slowly pulls back and reveals some startling truths. I particularly liked the section that speaks to Communion.

Several times as I was reading, I found myself wanting to share the story with my wife or pastor. It is well-written and touching. I am curious, though, about how much of Matt's actual life made its way into the book.

I give this a hearty recommendation!

I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot and this is now in the list of my favorite books of all time. I would recommend it for anyone, but particularly for Christians. I have seen reviews that say this is evangelical, but I don't really see that. I won't attempt to explain it, because I have never read anything quite like it before. I would though, dare anyone calling himself a Christian to read it. I suspect you will either love or hate it, but prepare to laugh, be saddened, offended, perplexed, challenged, and uplifted. I was all of those and more. I read this on a plane trip and couldn't wait to tell others about it...I don't remember the last time that has happened to me. I want to read it again (and I want to visit Portland).

I've seen a few negative reviews of this book, all from either: a.) really, really religious people, or b.) people who want nothing to do with the Christian faith. I feel that reviews coming from both of these types of people come off as mainly an endictment of Matt's worldview, not his prose. That being said, what Imaginary Jesus tries to do, it does well. It is an entertaining, well thought out journey through the world of Christianity as well as being a touching story of the authors own quest to find the real Jesus. Yes, he insults some of the ideas religious people have along the way (albiet light-heartedly.) And, yes, he reaches conclusions that most atheists and agnostics would probably disagree with. But at the end of the day, Imaginary Jesus comes off to me as both a work of art and a timely social commentary, and for that it's worth the few hours it will take for most people to sit down and read it.

The title was intriguing enough to make me want to read the book. But then a guy named Pete punched Jesus in the face, and I knew I wasn't going to put the book down until I finished it.

After I picked my jaw up off the ground, and with astonishment, told my husband, "Jesus got punched in the face!", I kept reading. I wish I could tell you that's the most incredible thing that happens in the story, but it's only the beginning. Pretty tame, actually.

But before you write this book off as an irreverent (it sometimes is), silly (that, too), pointless (definitely not) read, consider what the author, Matt Mikalatos, is trying to unearth.

His premise is that we often, unintentionally, create a Jesus of our own liking, rather than take time to get to know the real Jesus. And I'll tell you right now, the Jesuses we meet in this novel (Magic 8 Ball Jesus is one of my favorites) are uncomfortably convicting, and I've had to ask myself if I really know Jesus or if I've created him in my own image.

It's been months since I read this book, but I think about the lessons I learned from it often. This statement, in particular, sticks with me:

"If you never confront the imaginary Jesus, he'll keep popping up, perverting what you know about the real Jesus. You need to look him in the face, recognize that he's fake, and renounce him."

Overall, I'd call this a fun-yet-challenging book. Mikalatos accurately pegs the numerous fake Jesuses we create to avoid facing the Maker-Savior-Messiah-Way, Truth and Life Jesus of the Bible and does it in a clever, mostly non-threatening way. I never felt shamed by the fake Jesuses I create but called to confront falsehood and seek truth.

I consider this a must-read for Christians today.

Dare to discover the imaginary Jesuses in your life. You won't regret it.