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A review by toastx2
Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos
4.0
This book was FUNNY. It is straight up Christian faux-fiction, a complex parable with all the standard moving parable parts: a moral to teach, animal characters, convoluted answers that force the reader/listener to consider various perspectives. To that point, Christian literature in general could learn a lot from how this book was presented. As an Agnostic, I read it based on the title, was sucked in after less than a page, and finished it thinking “Man. that was pretty damn good”. Imaginary Jesus, written by Matt Mikalatos, had me going.
The basis for this book can be likened a lot to Gaiman’s American Gods, in the aspect that people’s gods can have different flavors and idiosyncrasies. In American Gods, a person or group brings their gods with them, as with the Vikings crossing the Atlantic. Their gods wax or wane in power depending on the tenacity of those who believe in them. But where American Gods was tightly centered around the lost gods, Imaginary Jesus is all about just one.
NOW, when I say “just one” i mean that in the loosest sense of the phrase. Imaginary Jesus is actually about countless numbers of the man. Essentially this comedic parable is in existence to point out that Jesus is many things to many people, though there is only “One”.
The story is loosely Autobiographical, with Matt and his search for the “Real Jesus” at the core of the novel. It opens with Matt sitting around the Red and Black Cafe in Portland Oregon. While in the cafe, Matt sits reading his bible, hoping that none of the locals notice that it is not Marx, else a one sided debate will open with a definite anti-xtian vibe. Sitting across the table from him is Jesus, who goes everywhere with Matt. Jesus is one of his best friends, keeping Matt company through out his daily tasks, even helping him get out of parking tickets.
A man enters the Red and Black, and though no one else can, he sees Jesus sitting across the table from Matt. Discussions and a high speed car chase down the wrong direction of one way streets ensue. You see, the man who can also see Jesus is the Apostle Peter (Pete). Pete advises Matt that he is in the company of an impostor, an Imaginary Jesus. One that is a construct of his own mind and meets Matt’s specific desires for what the Christian God should be like. In chapter one, it just gets better, as that is all in the prologue (chapter zero).
The novel follows Matt and Pete as they discuss and search out the real Jesus, so that Matt can meet him for the first time.
There is a full cast in this book. Apostles, motorcycle angels, talking donkeys, a couple prostitutes, some Athiests, Mormon missionaries, and more. Aside from those just mentioned, Imaginary deities abound, each in varied levels of power as the populace who follows them may be weak or strong. These deities are formed together into the Secret Society of Imaginary Jesus-es, working together to continue to exist in the face of reality (no, I am not joking).
Variations include but are not limited to:
* Liberal Social Services Jesus
* Testosterone Jesus
* Perpetually Angry Jesus
* Magic 8-Ball Jesus
* Mostly Dead Jesus (some people prefer him mostly dead)
* Conservative Truth Telling Jesus
* Bargain Jesus
* Pure Reckless Fantasy Jesus
* Hippie/Peace Jesus
* King James Jesus (SCARY!)
* You-should-get-a-divorce-and-marry-a-younger-woman Jesus
* Thousands of other Jesus that an individual may have rationalized due to comfort level
All in all, this was a fantastic book. It kept me laughing through out, and even though I am not a religious person, I found it to be well thought out and presented in a fantastic manner.
--
xpost https://toastx2.blogspot.com/
The basis for this book can be likened a lot to Gaiman’s American Gods, in the aspect that people’s gods can have different flavors and idiosyncrasies. In American Gods, a person or group brings their gods with them, as with the Vikings crossing the Atlantic. Their gods wax or wane in power depending on the tenacity of those who believe in them. But where American Gods was tightly centered around the lost gods, Imaginary Jesus is all about just one.
NOW, when I say “just one” i mean that in the loosest sense of the phrase. Imaginary Jesus is actually about countless numbers of the man. Essentially this comedic parable is in existence to point out that Jesus is many things to many people, though there is only “One”.
The story is loosely Autobiographical, with Matt and his search for the “Real Jesus” at the core of the novel. It opens with Matt sitting around the Red and Black Cafe in Portland Oregon. While in the cafe, Matt sits reading his bible, hoping that none of the locals notice that it is not Marx, else a one sided debate will open with a definite anti-xtian vibe. Sitting across the table from him is Jesus, who goes everywhere with Matt. Jesus is one of his best friends, keeping Matt company through out his daily tasks, even helping him get out of parking tickets.
A man enters the Red and Black, and though no one else can, he sees Jesus sitting across the table from Matt. Discussions and a high speed car chase down the wrong direction of one way streets ensue. You see, the man who can also see Jesus is the Apostle Peter (Pete). Pete advises Matt that he is in the company of an impostor, an Imaginary Jesus. One that is a construct of his own mind and meets Matt’s specific desires for what the Christian God should be like. In chapter one, it just gets better, as that is all in the prologue (chapter zero).
The novel follows Matt and Pete as they discuss and search out the real Jesus, so that Matt can meet him for the first time.
There is a full cast in this book. Apostles, motorcycle angels, talking donkeys, a couple prostitutes, some Athiests, Mormon missionaries, and more. Aside from those just mentioned, Imaginary deities abound, each in varied levels of power as the populace who follows them may be weak or strong. These deities are formed together into the Secret Society of Imaginary Jesus-es, working together to continue to exist in the face of reality (no, I am not joking).
Variations include but are not limited to:
* Liberal Social Services Jesus
* Testosterone Jesus
* Perpetually Angry Jesus
* Magic 8-Ball Jesus
* Mostly Dead Jesus (some people prefer him mostly dead)
* Conservative Truth Telling Jesus
* Bargain Jesus
* Pure Reckless Fantasy Jesus
* Hippie/Peace Jesus
* King James Jesus (SCARY!)
* You-should-get-a-divorce-and-marry-a-younger-woman Jesus
* Thousands of other Jesus that an individual may have rationalized due to comfort level
All in all, this was a fantastic book. It kept me laughing through out, and even though I am not a religious person, I found it to be well thought out and presented in a fantastic manner.
--
xpost https://toastx2.blogspot.com/