Review of “Imaginary Jesus”

My Imaginary Jesus: The Spiritual Adventures of One Man Searching for the Real God
©2010 by Matt Mikalatos
Published by BarnaBooks an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers
258 pages

What are we to make of a book whose cover says, “Think Monty Python meets C. S. Lewis”? Even after reading it, I’m still not sure. This is an entertaining book. I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occasions.

Imaginary Jesus is of course Jesus as you perceive him to be. Mikalatos not only describes his own but encounters many others. In fact I lost count of how many others, but recognized each one. I’ve seen them in my own expectations and in the expectations of others. There is Magic 8 ball Jesus, Harley Davidson Jesus, Perpetually Angry Jesus, Testosterone Jesus just to name a few. They range from Legalist Jesus to You-Should-Get-a-Divorce-and-Marry-a-Younger-Woman Jesus.

My favorite was King James Jesus. “King James Jesus dries a hard bargain. It was centuries before he even allowed New King James Jesus to exist.” After kidnapping a talking donkey that guides the author in his search for the real Jesus, “King James Jesus laughed heartily and cried out, ‘Thine ass is mine!’”

When Testosterone Jesus starts “blubbering like a baby” Mikalatos “had to start quoting lines from Braveheart to calm him down.”

Along the way the author befriends two Mormon missionaries and attends an atheist Bible Study (both real events).

This book will make you think. Realizing that this isn’t a theological treatise will help you get the most from this book. To find the real Jesus of course follow the author’s advice and look to the scriptures.