The Holy Ghost: A Spirited Comic

by John Hendrix, Patrick McDonnell (Introduction)

From the New York Times bestselling and award-winning artist John Hendrix comes The Holy Ghost , a charming, funny, and thought-provoking collection of spiritual comics.


Foreword by Patrick McDonnell

Does God exist? Is there a heaven? What’s the point of it all? Do we even matter?

This collection of thought-provoking, humorous comic strips is a series of conversations between a squirrel, a badger, and a friendly blue ghost who may or may not be one third of the Holy Trinity. Charming, witty, and at times poignant, yet never holier-than-thou, John Hendrix tackles some of life’s greatest questions.

Whether you consider yourself faithful or a nonbeliever, these delightfully off-kilter comics deliver laughter, comfort, and philosophical musings with humble, honest spirit—and just the right dose of playful irreverence.

“ The Holy Ghost introduces us to a spirit who is charming, approachable and insightful . . . he does for this underrated part of the Godhead what Charles M. Schulz did for beagles.” —St. Louis Public Radio

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Religion, Christian, Humor, Theology, Christianity

128 pages, Hardcover

Published May 10, 2022

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Hendrix is the illustrator of Nurse, Soldier, Spy and author/illustrator of Shooting at the Stars, among others. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Reviews

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those "totally my fault" things: didn't realize this was a spiritually-based comic before I read it, so while it's not thoroughly for me, if this is the sort of thing you're looking for, I think you'll be pleased.

This is a hard emotion to describe, so the best I can do is say that I'm an atheist, however, I grew up in a smallish town in Colorado, which was a ripe area for Christian ska of the late 90's and early 2000's. I'm sure there are demographic reasons for this, but that's boring, so let's just say that what I learned from enjoying Christian ska music, without actually being Christian, is that religion can be a nice thing for people.

Yes, I know, okay? I know what The Crusades were. I know lots of horrible shit has been done in the name of religion. I know priests and little boys and all that. I know, I hear you.

Look, we can make those arguments all day, but I don't think we can blame religion any more than we could blame sports. Sports have caused lots of horrible shit. The entertainment industry? That's where Cosby and Weinstein came from.

It sounds silly to categorize an entire industry based on those behaviors. It's unreasonable.

I feel similarly about religion.

Basically, it's my belief that you get a big enough group together, somebody is bound to be an asshole, like an OUTRAGEOUS asshole, and it doesn't really matter if that group is faith-based or a book club or whatever, someone involved is an asshole.

I don't know. Maybe all atheists should end up liking some Christian ska bands, going to a show, having a good time, and we could all chill out a bit. But that would require a time machine, and it'd probably require me to listen to a bunch of music that, though I loved it at one time, might not hit the same today. It'd definitely fuck up my Spotify recommendations royally.

[Beth Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This comic was everything I’ve come to expect from this author/illustrator: eye-catching art, thought-filled and thought-provoking text, and engaging with something familiar in deep and purposeful ways. This book is a collection of comics of a cute little blue “Holy Ghost”, not meant to be irreverent (except for when it kind of is) but as an attempt to visually process things that are often just words or thoughts. I so appreciated the author’s note and the heart behind this work.

[Rod Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not the audience for this collection of cartoons looking for the warm-hearted humor of religious philosophy with the Holy Ghost and his fuzzy buddies, a squirrel and badger, one an atheist and one a believer. I shouldn't have picked it up, but I did and made myself miserable by reading every single, dreary page.

The creator says he was inspired by the philosophical discourses of "Calvin & Hobbes" and "Peanuts" but falls well short of those works in humor and pithiness.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful, sweet, somewhat irreverent. This was more a gentle place to ask questions than a place to find hard theological answers.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpectedly picked this up at the library while looking for audio-books, and it was so endearing. While a few of the comics felt a little stereotypical, others will stick with me for a long time. For some reason I've never viewed the Holy Spirit as compassionate, but of course He is??? Definitely give this a read if you need a little pick me up. Are they a liiiiittle irreverent at times? Perhaps, but only from a place of earnestly trying to understand.

[Robert Thacker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book unconvinced that it was a good idea for it to exist, and put it down still questioning. It's a strange and provocative concept, despite trying to stay within theological orthodoxy.

Some pages were profound and thought-provoking, but just as many were perplexing and eyebrow-raising.

I feel a little richer for engaging with the ideas in the conversations between an atheist squirrel, a fundamentalist badger, and a cartoon Holy Ghost, and yet I remain unconvinced. The author respects the Trinity too much to go all in on the humorous potential of a comic Holy Spirit, but the whole concept feels irreverent. It seeks to point out the levity of God's attitude toward our human doubts and misunderstandings, and yet it can only do so by bringing His sense of humor down to a slightly sarcastic, sometimes smarmy attitude which feels entirely Holy Spiritless.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate what the author accomplished here. I imagine each of the strips could be the subject of a sermon or ignite a conversation with like-minded friends. The art was interesting and I especially liked the unique typography atop each of the strips.

All that said though, I guess it speaks to the fact that I wasn’t the core audience for this as I liked the one about the fart joke the best. It stood out amongst the deep existential life questions that most of the other strips ably tackled, many of which I just didn’t understand.

[Jed Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when you develop a whimsical discussion regarding the daily movement of the Holy Spirit in the style of Calvin and Hobbes? This book.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm learning that Hendrix's work is always thoughtful and beautifully crafted, even when I disagree.

[Nancy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this style of comic - reflective and philosophical.

Bear in mind the audience here and the intent. If you’re expecting a theological work, you will be completely let down. It is not interested in answering your questions about the Holy Spirit but rather posing new ones.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful romp into theological ponderings! I picked this up because I absolutely love John Hendrix’s masterpiece Miracle Man, which is an earthy and beautiful depiction of the life of Jesus. This comic did not disappoint! It made me laugh, think, and think again. I highly recommend it.

[Ryan Linkous · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to keep on your coffee table for humor and reflection.

John Hendrix is a phenomenal author and illustrator.

[Nicolas Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly it lost a star for how many single sided pages there were in this edition. Otherwise, as far as an endeavour to take something as wild and mystical as the titular Ghost and render it in this medium, and have it come off (at its best) feeling like the more poignant scenes in Calvin & Hobbes is absolutely worth a read. There's some good "deep-breath" comfort in here.

[Mary Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so well done. I found myself laughing out loud on one page and then stopping to ponder a thought on another page. This is one of those books I will for sure be rereading simply to discover things I missed the first time.

[Ags · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fun and sweet! Perfect length for one cup of lemon honey tea.

In the brief afterword, the artist writes, "My hope is that, no matter your disposition on Christian theology, these comics can make you smile, and remind you of those questions you forgot you had." Mission accomplished, I think!

This has a fun variety, yet still feels connected. Some reoccuring themes in these comics include the importance and curiosity/joy in uncertainty; wrestling with pain; poking fun at but ultimately loving omnipresence; funny, firm yet gentle checks on Christian nationalism; and the instability of life, art, etc. Across these themes and more, I think this could be a lively interfaith conversation starter. There's a lot of theological depth, while still being a fun, quick (if you want) feel-good read.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky. Some interesting, mostly odd comics. I appreciated a handful of challenging thoughts and intriguing ideas or perspectives but mostly they felt lame.

I like the concept of using comics to challenge our ideas and believes surrounding the Holy Spirit and questions we have. However even reading these with an interesting curiosity, there's quite a bit of odd or weird theology.

Something to pursue if you're bored. I'd stick with Calvin and Hobbes otherwise.

[Anna H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poiniant, thoughtful, with a lovely ability to take itself lightly in places: this is a delightful read. This book is good reminder of truth and beauty and the acceptability of wrestling with doubts and fears.

[Krisanne Knudsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet and short graphic novel that delves into some complex, existential questions like, "Why does God allow for so much suffering in this world?" I really appreciated the author's note at the end where he describes how this book came about (basically it is his way of processing deep, theological questions) and how art and writing are his ways of coming to know what he believes.

[Christine Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was way outside what I normally read but I really enjoyed it. There isn't really an overarching story, just little vignettes between a doubting squirrel and a blue ghost representing the Holy Spirit in Christian theology. Some were just funny and irreverent, some were super deep and thinky... and a few I just didn't get.
There is one chart of questions about God's nature that explains Christianity so well in only a few words.
I don't think this comic is for kids as there's a lot of sarcasm and hidden meaning but some advanced readers may enjoy.

[MaryJo Landwehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a clever and interesting read!! I loved it!!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed another work by this author so I checked this one out. Cute with very deep dialogue.

[Bobbi Kraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful humor and theology

[Rachel Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny and poignant collection of comics. There were some whose theology encroached on questionable, but it made up for it in the honesty it conveyed.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Resonant. Silly. Serious.

[Jenn Malzone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t mind me, I’m just micro-dosing religion

[angelofmine1974 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/4ueJulz7PhY

Enjoy!

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much depth in this book, so much variety, and such an incredible amount of gorgeous detail. I struggled to grasp some of what was being conveyed, but I value the hard questions being considered throughout the book and the way they're presented. Just the choice of the squirrel as the skeptic and badger as what I would call a hard line fundamentalist type is so inspired. The flip-comic aspect on the back side of many pages is so fun, and I was finding myself appreciating each version of "The Holy Ghost" heading, not to mention the content.

I will definitely be rereading multiple times, but for the first read through, my favorite panel is the last on page 79, where the badger says, "True religious belief brings certainty, not ambiguity!" And the Holy Ghost character says, "I'm not sure you understand faith." That one line sums up so much of my life - I was raised to see faith as certainty and only recently began to understand that at least for me, I can't trust God when I'm spending all my time and energy trying to make sure I believe the "right" things in the "right" way and am doing all the "right" things at the right time. It's exhausting and defeating and I'm so glad I'm not alone.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of comics that usually made me smile and often made me laugh out loud. It examines the Holy Spirit, the ways we doubt God, and how he is confident and unaffected by our doubt. I wish I had read the author’s note first, but it is at the end. It explained the purpose and organization and my chief complaint was often thinking “are these telling an overall story or connected to each other?” I hope he keeps drawing. I like his Bonhoeffer book a lot more and hope he will do more heroes if the Christian faith that I can enjoy with my teen son who is into graphic novels. But I am glad for this more theologically esoteric offering too, and the Holy Ghost definitely deserves the attention! My favorite one was the Pentecost celebration!

[Jonathan Crabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book of comics. In some ways, I don’t think you could make a book more tailored to what I love. It explores questions of faith, doubt, joy and WHIMSY all through the lens of the mystery of the Holy Spirit. The book is simple in its approach and yet several pages almost brought me to tears of joy. Content is more aimed at adults than kids as the cotent can skew philosophical at times, but this book is an utter delight.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. I am a huge John Hendrix fan (two favorites are his graphic novel about the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer titled The Faithful Spy and his illustrative work on the picture book McToad Mows Tiny Island by Tom Angleberger), and this was charming and thought provoking and did not disappoint in the least.

[Erin]

A thoughtful, whimsical journey through faith and doubt. I enjoyed following where these comics led.

John Hendrix's illustrations are usually fine and bold and precise. These strips are looser, sketchier, in many ways, but have the same visual appeal.