I found out about Imaginary Jesus from the Tyndale Blog Network. I received my free copy and promptly read the book. But I only manged to post anything to Goodreads. So I wanted to rectify that and offer my take on this book in this space in a more formal way (at least slightly).
Here is the basic plot (cribbed from the publisher’s blurb):
When Matt Mikalatos realizes that his longtime buddy in the robe and sandals isn’t the real Jesus at all, but an imaginary one, he embarks on a mission to find the real thing. On his wild ride through time, space, and Portland, Oregon, he encounters hundreds of other Imaginary Jesuses determined to stand in his way (like Legalistic Jesus, Perpetually Angry Jesus, and Magic 8 Ball Jesus). But Matt won’t stop until he finds the real Jesus—and finally gets an answer to the question that’s haunted him for years.
As you might be able to tell even from this short synopsis, the book walks the fine line between slapstick comedy and insightful spiritual commentary – and in my opinion manages to pull it off for the most part.
Mikalatos has a lot of fun with his spiritually themed romp but the issue of how Christians create imaginary Saviors in order to avoid dealing with the real Jesus is worth exploring. The author touches on some rather profound and emotional issues but never gets too heavy or loses the rhythm of his largely comic story.
I don’t think Mikalatos offers any startling insights or deep perspectives. Instead he simply creates – based in part on his own experiences – humorous and thought provoking examples of how we try to pigeon hole or caricature Jesus.
Imaginary Jesus is a quick and chuckle inducing read but one with a valuable lesson at its core.
For centuries the paladins protected the Earth from a creeping darkness known as the Blight. That all changed when a new enemy destroyed the paladins, plunging the free worlds into danger. Validus Smith—an ordinary girl in an ordinary town—is next in line to become the paladin. Untrained, unsure of her destiny, and hunted by monstrous forces, she must recover the fabled Sword of Six Worlds, the only weapon capable of defeating the Blight. The Sword, however, is not on Earth, but in a strange fantasy world connected to her own. In an unfamiliar world of monsters, talking animals and living rocks, can an ordinary girl like Validus survive?
