Is the pleasant robed man at the coffee shop really Jesus---or just Matt Mikalatos's conveniently created imitation of Christ? With the help of the apostle Peter and a talking donkey, Matt searches Portland---determined to exorcise the impostor, find the real Jesus, and confront him with the question that's haunted him for years. . . . 288 pages, hardcover from Tyndale.

Imaginary Jesus is an hilarious, fast-paced, not-quite-fictional story that’s unlike anything you’ve ever read before. 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. Be warned: Imaginary Jesus may bring you face-to-face with an imposter in your own life.

The Apostle Peter punches Jesus in the face, then chases him out of a coffee shop. And that’s just chapter 0. In this quirky tale the publisher describes as “not-quite-true,” former missionary and comic book store clerk Mikalatos disguises his critique of Christian life in an action-based quest to find the real Jesus. It’s A Christmas Carol meets Oz, but instead of ghosts and tin men, it’s a talking donkey, a motorcycle rider, and Mikalatos himself. The cast of characters drags the reader through the streets of Seattle and ancient Judea to introduce a host of fake Jesuses: Magic 8 Ball Jesus, Harley Jesus, even Liberal Social Services Jesus. They’re constructs of the human mind. “People invent a Jesus for one specific reason and then discard him when they don’t need him anymore,” says one of the Jesuses (the one with an expensive suit). Peter teaches Mikalatos that he must quiet falsehoods and mold a deeper relationship with the living, historical Jesus. Mixing questions of suffering and free will with “a nexus of weirdness,” Mikalatos throws Christian fiction into the world of Comic-Con and Star Wars. His silly quest is startling, contemporary, meaningful, and occasionally exhausting when the reader is puzzled. It begs for a comic book counterpart. (Apr.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Take the theological forcefulness of Bonhoeffer, combine it with the imaginative whimsy of C. S. Lewis and the wit of Charles Spurgeon, and you get Matt Mikalatos. Imaginary Jesus marks the debut of one of today’s most prominent young Christian writers.

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Author: Matt Mikalatos
Located in: Vancouver, WA
Submitted: August 26, 2009

    Tell us a little about yourself.  I've been on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for ten years, where I've worked with college students here in the States and also in places as diverse as Costa Rica, South Korea, Spain, Croatia, Mexico, Thailand, Hungary and closed countries in the Middle East and Asia. I live in Portland, Oregon with my wife and three kids, where I can blend in to regular society.

    What was your motivation behind this project?  I wanted a book that was about theology but was fun enough that I could hand it to my non-Christian friends or to a college student burnt out from reading text books all day and they would not only read it but pass it on to their friends. It seemed to me that the best way to accomplish this was to write a book that was theologically deep but also hysterically funny.

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?  More than anything, I hope that people will read this book and start conversations about who Jesus really is... examining their own concepts of Jesus against the living, breathing Christ who still lovingly interacts with us today.

    Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?  G.K. Chesterton, Dave Eggers, Kurt Vonnegut, Dallas Willard, Frederick Buechner, Don Miller, Michael Connelly, Gene Wolfe and many more. I love to read. If I were one of the three little pigs, I would have built my house out of books. I know, the wolf would have blown it down and eaten me but at least I would have died happy!

    Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know:  Come hang out at my blog, The Burning Hearts Revolution. Or, if you'd like me to come speak at a conference or church event, contact Dan Mann at Dan(at)Ambassadorspeakers.com

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