The Gospel According to Matthew. This “book” would be followed by gospel accounts according to Mark, Luke and John as well. The four books, which provide accounts of the life of Jesus Christ and serve as the framework for the Christian faith, are so well known that authors -- Christian and otherwise -- have hijacked their moniker to indicate their own works. The practice has given birth to an alarming number of books that enlighten, challenge, or converse with the Christian faith in often surprising ways.

1. The Gospel According to Peanuts

This book became a bestseller when it was released by Presbyterian minister Robert L. Short in 1965. It borrows from Charles M. Schulz’s world-famous comic strip "Peanuts" featuring Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Snoopy and a whole cast of other characters (who are, incidentally, Methodist -- but don’t tell Short that). The book was the first to borrow the phrase from the Bible and perhaps the most successful drawing from the deep theological themes present in the beloved comic.

2. The Gospel According to Harry Potter

Please, please. Have a seat. Calm down. Even riskier than a "Simpsons" plug is the young-adult series that centers around the adventures of wizard-in-training Harry Potter. The books were long denounced by evangelicals everywhere for their mystical themes. Connie Neal, however, finds over 50 themes that can be viewed as glimpses of the Christian gospel.

3. The Gospel According to Starbucks

Seeing the subtitle, “Living with Grande Passion,” the reader is left wondering why he or she would settle for grande when they could live with venti passion. It is no surprise that this corporate coffee giant dipped its hand in this growing trend. This book uses the Starbucks experience as a metaphor for the Christians' relationship with God and others.

4. The Gospel According to The Simpsons

Drawing parallels from the world’s largest religion with one of the most irreverent (albeit one of the funniest and longest-running) television shows was a risk on the part of Mark J. Pinsky. He does makes a comprehensive claim, however, citing references to God, heaven and hell, the Bible, and prayer throughout the show. He also examines the evangelism of Ned Flanders, the ministry of Reverend Lovejoy, and even presents Lisa as a Christlike figure. Critics who speak against the Anglo-Saxon Jesus who often wears white skin will be outraged by this yellow-skinned version.

5. The Gospel According to Dogs

Robert L. Short capitalized off his initial success with the "Peanuts" book to depict man’s best friend as a model for how to live better lives. It’s no surprise that he draws largely from the behavior of comic strip dogs. Who knew that the funny papers could be so spiritually enriching?

6. The Gospel According to Breaking Bad

A high school chemistry teacher who makes and sells crystal meth hardly sounds like one’s idea of a patron saint. Blake Atwood, however, thinks otherwise and seeks to mine a story of redemption from the morally bankrupt depths of the show.

7. The Gospel According to Facebook

Bruce H. Joffe wants readers to make their relationship with Christ “Facebook official.” But seriously, this book is relatively deep from a sociological perspective. This book appears to encourage harnessing the social media giant as an evangelistic tool.

8. The Gospel According to Metallica

Kelly Montgomery takes this quintessential heavy metal band to new heights by writing them as unwitting authorities on the Christian faith. Asking questions like, "Is God the 'Master of Puppets'?" this version of the gospel will have pastors everywhere doing stage dives.

9. The Gospel According to Pixar

This book by Todd Brewer and David Zahl takes each Pixar movie and makes a Christian application to be used in the concerns of everyday life. It features chapters like "UP!: Guilt, Absolution, and a Whole Lot of Balloons."

10. The Gospel According to Oprah

Marcia Z. Nelson's gift to all Oprah fans. She channels the portions of Oprah's life and career which reflect themes of confession, redemption, healing, mission, forgiveness, and salvation. Perhaps, if we dig deep, we can forgive such a book for having been written.

11. The Gospel According to Star Wars

The only similarity I can find between God and Darth Vader is their joint declaration, "I am your Father." God, however, didn't cut off our arm right before saying this. (Although it is arguably encouraged in Matthew 5:30). Author John C. McDowell, on the other hand (pun intended), thinks that the series presents a moral complexity that, if heeded, will lead us to better understand God and our place in the world.

And there are plenty more where these come from! Don’t be surprised, in fact, if soon you see "The Gospel According to TheOdysseyOnline."