The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith [Paperback]

Timothy J Stoner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 2008

Emergent theology is raising some of the most provocative and divisive questions in the church today. Filled with humorous insights and challenging ideas, The God Who Smokes imagines a twenty-first-century church where hope hangs with holiness, passion sits next to purity, and compassion can relate to character.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Emergent theology is raising some of the most provocative and divisive questions in the church today. For some, these ideas embody the true spirit of the gospel, trading tired religion for authenticity and relevance. Others dismiss it as a heresy that compromises the gospel in the name of tolerance and dilutes the truth to attract a jaded generation.

Is there any room for middle ground?

Timothy Stoner thinks so. Join him as he provides an honest response to the postmodern cry for authentic spirituality. Filled with humorous insights and challenging ideas, The God Who Smokes imagines a twenty-first-century church where hope hangs with holiness, passion sits next to purity, and compassion can relate to character.

Timothy celebrates the good within Emergent while providing a balanced and thoughtful critique. Throughout, you’ll discover not only the issues that can divide but also the burning passion that can unite us all.

About the Author

Timothy Stoner grew up in Chile and Spain, where his parents served as missionaries. He attended Grand Rapids Theological Seminary before going on to law school. He has been practicing law for twenty years and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife, Patty. They have five children. Timothy is also president of Orphan Justice Mission.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: NavPress (January 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600062474
• ISBN-13: 978-1600062476
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get ready to worship!, April 3, 2008

By 

D. VanDyke (Grand Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith (Paperback)

Wow. What a great book! A friend passed this along to me because he knew I was deeply concerned about the teachings of Rob Bell, Brian McLaren and the like. I was hoping for a cogent, compelling, biblical debunking of the emergent movement. What I got was so much more. Stoner has managed to write a book that first and foremost introduces you to the sheer glory of God. With powerful, poetic, prophetic language he helps you to see the terrifying, infinitely loving, worship-worthy reality of the God who has revealed himself in Scripture. This is not only the perfect prescription for the man-centered errors of the emergent church, it was unexpectedly sweet medicine for the subtle cynicism of my own heart. I found myself not only agreeing but worshiping. While Stoner is clearly sympathetic to many of the questions and concerns of the emergent church, he shows that the tragedy of our day, Emergent and Evangelical alike, is that our God and our gospel is simply too small. With compelling, colorful, poetic language he calls us back to a truly God-glorifying, gospel-saturated worldview and lifestyle.

This is great writing. It feels like you are sitting on the back porch having an immensely enjoyable conversation with a really smart, funny, godly man. His story of getting caught by his strict missionary parents in a dusty Chilean movie theatre made me laugh out loud. His description of Jesus quieting the waters ("Calm down! Now!") made me see my Lord with new eyes as one who insisted on walking this earth "as if he owned it".

This is a book for everyone simply because we all need to be challenged by the reality of God as he is - a God who smokes.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!!! Highly Recomended!!!, March 18, 2008

By 

Bekkering (Midwest USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith (Paperback)

When you finish the book you feel like you can call up your good friend Timothy Stoner and enjoy a tall frosty together. Stoner allows the reader to peer into his life with all of its disappointments, sorrows and joys. In this emotional, narrative autobiography he leads the reader on his journey of faith.

However, Stoner's goal is not to have the reader call him up, but for you to deepen or develop a personal relationship in Him. Stoner wants you to see the authentic God described in the Bible rather than the distorted, tame image our post-modern culture presents. From this reader's perspective Stoner has very much succeeded.

Stoner provides enough darts to not so gently pierce everyone's conscience regardless of your denominational bias. Fortunately, he not only creates guilt, but to points to the One who bore our guilt.

This book is a fantastic read no matter where you are in your spiritual journey.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Such a Time as This, April 10, 2008

By 

Dede - See all my reviews

This review is from: The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith (Paperback)

I believe that Timothy Stoner's book has been written "for such a time as this." As a true watchman on the wall, the author is discerning the times that we are now in. I believe that God has poised Timothy "at the gates" as He did Mordecai in Esther 4. Mordecai overheard the words of the enemy, Haman, and his plan to destroy God's people, the Jews. Mordecai went to the gates of the king and had this word of warning brought to Queen Esther describing the evil plan of Haman. Esther was unaware of the destructive plan that was being devised right within the gates of the king's domain in which she lived. This book serves as that warning.

A "new" hip teaching has emerged carrying with it a unique, somewhat open-ended flare that sounds a bit more exciting than an "exclusive," holy, jealous and passionate God. The vague deception has subtly found its way into unsuspecting hearts and minds of a generation.

Thank you, Timothy Stoner, for standing as Mordecai did and sending out this very clear warning of a deceptive plot to rob Jesus of the worship and glory that He alone deserves. Someone needed to articulate this message and you have done it very well. This book is important, profound, God-honoring and Christ exalting. Thank you for sharing honestly with your readers of your struggles and lessons learned, and also, for balancing out your critique of some of the emergent church's weaknesses with their critically important call to social justice.