Customer Reviews

Imaginary Jesus

5 star:		(102)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Imagine having lunch with Jesus at your favorite downtown restaurant. You are discussing Bible passages and the fact that the waiter forgot to bring the side dish to your meal. Jesus tells you he thought that might happen, which annoys you, but you can't really say anything to him about it since you often feel he is unhappy with you. The scene is interrupted by a new guest to the restaurant, one that you've never seen before. Jesus rolls his eyes at the entrance of the newcomer and hurries outside to go plug the parking meter. The new guy comes over and introduces himself as Pete. After getting a glass of water he begins to quiz you about Jesus. You are surprised that he can see him too. Then when Jesus returned to the table you are horrified when Pete and Jesus start bickering. Pete literally punches Jesus in the face who in turn makes a mad dash for the door, picking up his robes and heading for the hills. You knock Pete over with a chair, demanding an explanation for his behavior.

"That was an imaginary Jesus, my friend... and now that we are on to him he is going to run."

You cross your arms and frown. "I've known Jesus for a long time, what makes you think that you know him better than I do?"

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

So opens Matt Mikalatos fascinatingly funny and creative story of purging his life of this Imaginary Jesus and the many other fake Jesus characters he finds in his life. Some aren't that easy to get rid of and others look deceptively like the real thing. In his chapters you will meet Political Jesus, Peacenik Jesus, Testosterone Jesus, 8-ball Jesus, and many others.

With a few important friends along the way, including Peter, a prostitute, two Mormon missionaries (named Laurel and Hardy), George Barna, and a talking donkey, Matt takes trips in both location and history that open up both his mind and heart to see who Jesus really is. And though it is nearly impossible to put this book down simply for the entertainment value you can't help but recognize some of the false saviors that you've been worshipping yourself.

Though this clever parable has a fun literary device it is not difficult to recognize the painful moments in Matt's life that prompted him to look for Easy-Answer-Saviors. Thankfully for him, and for his readers, he didn't stay stuck there and is on a journey of following the real deal.

Do yourself a favor and pick up this book and a highlighter or two. It is one of the funniest and thoughtful stories that you will read this year.

Having read the editorial review but not the customer reviews, when I started reading this ebook I did not realize it was an evangelical Christian book. I thought it was a parody of Christianity. I am an ex-Christian and don't usually read religious fiction, but I decided to keep reading this anyway because it was so incredibly funny. Therefore I am writing this review primarily for atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, and the unchurched.

The first thing you will notice about this book is that it is REALLY REALLY FUNNY. Throughout the first half of the book I could not stop laughing. But there is also a touching story with real human emotion and much theological consideration and internal debate. The basic premise is that the protagonist Matt (a fictionalized version of the author) meets the apostle Peter who tells him that the Jesus he has been hanging out with in coffee shops is not the real Jesus. Imaginary Jesus starts running, and Matt chases him to confront him in order to find the real Jesus. With the help of the apostle Peter, a talking donkey, an ex-prostitute, a couple of Mormon missionaries, and the leader of an atheist Bible study, Matt travels through time and all around the Pacific Northwest chasing all of his imaginary Jesuses. [SPOILER ALERT] Matt must confront a very painful part of his past in order to ditch these fake Messiahs. Gradually Matt gets rid of the fakers (which are all products of his imagination) and finally has a vision of the real Jesus in the center of a labyrinth where Matt learns to deal with his pain. [/SPOILER]

As an ex-Christian and current spiritually-minded atheist, I can really relate to Matt at a lot of levels. This is an honest tale of one man's internal spiritual struggle trying to find the truth, and I can respect that. Also, in spite of a very obvious pro-Evangelical world view, I see this book as a work of art. Can you enjoy religious works of art like J.S. Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" and the film "Ben-Hur"? Then you will probably appreciate this book.

However If I had written this book about my own spiritual journey there would have been one major difference: After getting rid of all the imaginary Jesuses there would have been no real Jesus at the center of the labyrinth. There would have only been myself, the need to take personal responsibility for my actions, and the awareness that the universe is cruel and purposeless.

OK, let me start by saying that this is an absolutely brilliant book that you needed to read yesterday! As a longtime follower of Christ and pastor, I have seen up close and personal the fallout from people following their own versions of "imaginary Jesus." This book is witty, sophisticated, and laugh out loud funny. Being a pastor, I don't have a lot of time for fiction reading, but I have had a hard time putting this one down.

As for any negative reviews on this book, the only reason I can figure for those is that 1) they haven't actually read it-kind of like when people say the Bible is myth, but haven't read past Genesis 3, or 2)they have just had their imaginary Jesus exposed (probably the KJV one)and are suffering from shock.

Read it. Recommend it. And don't forget to follow the REAL Jesus, not the one that fits in your back pocket.

The story begins at the Red and Black, a Communist coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, where Matt (our hero) and someone he thinks is Jesus are just hanging out. Enter the Apostle Peter, a.k.a. "Pete," who recognizes Matt's Jesus as an imposter and quickly instigates a fistfight. Imaginary Jesus takes off running, Pete and Matt take off after him, and thus begins a story that's funny, unpredictable, and would be irreverent if it didn't actually have so much respect for the real Jesus, as He was in history and as He is in Matt's life -- and in ours.

As Matt, Pete, and Daisy the Talking Donkey chase Imaginary Jesus across Portland in an effort to unmask him and help Matt get back to the real Jesus -- the one he actually loves, and who really loves him -- they run into a host of other Imaginary Jesuses, figments of imagination and theological constructs that sometimes come close to being like Jesus but aren't Him. They include such memorable figures as Magic 8-Ball Jesus (good for quick guidance, but rather predictable), Testosterone Jesus (who mostly goes to men's mountain retreats and watches Braveheart for inspiration), and Portland Jesus (who likes art, social justice, jeans, and house churches).

Matt's journey also takes him back to the first century, to locales all over Portland, into encounters with a pair of Mormon missionaries, a former prostitute, and the Atheists Bible Study, and finally into contact with an event in his life that hurt him deeply and led to the creation of his Imaginary Jesus in the first place. It's witty, but also surprisingly moving and insightful at times -- the honest, if quirky, journey of a man struggling to reclaim an authentic faith and reestablish relationship with a real Lord.

And that's where my caution comes in: this book should not be read as a theological treatise on "the real Jesus," but as the spiritual journey of a real Christian. Every one of Matt's Imaginary Jesuses shares characteristics with the real thing, and this is where things can get hazy: this isn't a book about discovering objective truth about who Christ is. It's a book about getting out of our comfort zones and self-made safety nets and seeking to encounter Christ in our own lives. It is autobiography. It is not theology.

Also, it pokes fun at just about all of us. I don't think it actually crosses the line into poking fun at God (the real one), but be prepared to squirm a little.

End of caution. Overall, this is a heartfelt call to seek truth and relationship with God. It has the potential to raise some great questions, and I think to point us to the source of the real answers.

- Rachel Starr Thomson, writer, [...]

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.

This is a great book about how easily we can fake up our religion. The story starts with lunch out at a cafe with Jesus. Only to be rudely interrupted by a rather rough character called Pete, who points out that Jesus is just an imaginary Jesus.

The book goes on to explore the ways in which Christians cling to their own versions of Jesus that suit their own particular needs, without really deeply encountering the amazing, and transforming, love of God.

I am torn as to how to rate the book. A lot of it deserves a five star rating - there are some absolutely brilliant sections and catalogs of the many types of imaginary Jesus' ("Footprints Jesus" is my favorite). However there are also some sections that just go on for too long.

On the whole, I would highly recommend this book. It is suitable for people who have been Christian for a long time, those starting out and those who are looking at the church from the outside and wonder "what the heck?"

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.

I downloaded a free copy of "Imaginary Jesus" for my Kindle, and enjoyed reading it. I wanted to give this book a three-star review, but if I had paid for the book, I couldn't give it more than two stars. Here are the three thoughts that I came away with:

1) Message : I thought that the message of this book was brilliant! Mr. Mikalatos does a wonderful job of alerting Christians of the danger of creating a customized Jesus that they don't mind believing in instead of struggling to believe in the Lord the way that he really is. It's the kind of book I might refer to in Sunday School one day. (Update: in fact, I did!)

2) Tone : I would describe this book as "The Hitchhiker's Guide for the Galaxy" meets Christian fiction. On one hand, it makes for a very entertaining read and a quirky sense of humor that is usually right up my alley. However, I can't see the Apostle Peter as Ford Prefect-like character. I enjoy the writing style, and I enjoy the theme of the book, but they don't seem to mesh very well together.

3) Mormonism : Being a Mormon, I'm probably over-sensitive to this, but the author seemed to go too far out of his way to criticize Mormonism: the chapters featuring Elders Laurel and Hardy have little narrative or thematic cohesion with the rest of the book; the self-deprecating main character is suddenly witty and wise when putting down the Mormons; and the real Jesus is the only character who is not flippant . . . until it comes to the Book of Mormon.

Please keep in mind that I would have given this book a similar review even if the book had not addressed Mormonism. I'm very glad that I read the book, it made me think hard about the central message, but I would have regretted paying money for it.

I was raised to be strongly religious, but am now an atheist. Still, I maintain an interest in religion, but often I find the Christian books I read to be elitist and usympathetic. Imaginary Jesus is neither of those things, but instead is a lighthearted-yet-respectful look into individual conversion. If I were to ever again to become a believer, it would be books like this that paved the way.

This great first offering from Mat Mikalatos is a fun book that will make you think about searching for the real Jesus Christ. You may want be prepared to have your comfortable, familiar conception of Christ and your relationship with him cast in a new light - but don't worry, be happy, because Matt has a gift for gently and *very* humorously shining a light on how our personalities inform our version of what Jesus is like, and how we, often with the purest of intentions, choose an incomplete Jesus molded from a variety of cultural influences, unwitting selfishness, or just plain wanting to be buddies with Him.

Matt's writing is clear and well-paced. The dialog is snappy and fun, yet truly intelligent and illuminating. His style reminds me a little bit of the great Kurt Vonnegut's irony and wit.

The theology is solid - you will not find cheap sensational heresies here, on the contrary: Mikalatos smartly confronts subtle errors in how people think about Jesus and how they construct their relationship with him. "Imaginary Jesus" would make a fantastic read and fun, stimulating discussions in a church book club setting.

You will laugh at yourself and people you have known. You will come to understand in new ways some of the relationships with Christ that you see in others. Perhaps your own relationship with Jesus will change. For me personally, this book has given me a stronger foundation for sharing who Jesus is and what he wants for us.

"Imaginary Jesus" is about a man on a quest to find the true Christ, while struggling with the very I idea that such a quest should even be necessary. The underlying material is spiritually essential. The characters are engaging and sometimes surprising, and the plot is full of action and even suspense.

You will laugh six different ways from Sunday when you read "Imaginary Jesus". You will also be moved, challenged, and informed. I give this book my highest recommendation, and if you read it I think you will too.