Customer Reviews

The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This book will leave its impression upon anyone who reads it. Timothy's imagery in the book is vivid. You get the sense that you are right there with Tim, as he recounts his past. However, Timothy does not allow you to focus on himself, but on the Amazing Creator and Lord.

Timothy not only gives devastating critiques on the Emergent church movement but also on many religious and churchy traditions. Yet, his critique is not harsh, rather he lovingly points you to the unsentimental, loving and wrathful God who is found in Scripture, and he lets the reader make the logical conclusions.

I found his call to social justice to riveting and Biblical, to the point that I am forced to rethink my suppositions in light of Scripture. I am currently reading the book through for the second time.

This book needs to be read with a bookmark in the Notes section that moves along with the main chapters because of all the references that fill out Stoner's points. And they do need to be read! He has done a ton of reading and research and quotes C.S. Lewis extensively, Peter Kreeft, Father Reardon, Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Augustine, Boyd, and Dorothy Sayers, to name a few, as well as providing insights into Jewish practices, so... I now have a new list of books I want to read. I was glad that he didn't just trash current controversial authors, but gave them credit where their thinking was Biblical and helpful, and also that he proved irrefutably where they go wrong, based on Scripture.

It felt to me that he was writing this book for his childrens' sake, as if he wanted to make his concerns known in a way that would not make them angry and defensive, but by telling stories about his own life and showing with Scripture and the writings of theologians of all types, that "There is a truth to know. There is a way to follow. There is a person to love. And that ultimately these are all about Jesus."

I'm not a real avid reader, and I have a bad habit of losing interest in books before even getting halfway through. So that when I say I enjoyed this book to the last page, it goes without saying that it's worth every penny.

Stoner's writing style is very personable. Reading things like CS Lewis, I feel as though I'm there to learn and sometimes have to read a paragraph 3 times to even get a clue about what he was trying to convey. Stoner, on the other hand, draws you in at a very personal level and makes you feel like you're sitting in a coffee shop having a heart-to-heart with him. He draws on scripture and a multitude of power-thinkers of the Christian world to drive home often forgotten or misunderstood truths about Jesus. I can say without doubt that I was deeply convicted and challenged several times during my journey through this book.

Also unlike a typical apologetics book, Stoner incorporates relevant life stories into each chapter. At times, you almost feel as if you're simply reading Stoner's blog and his personal reflections on what God taught him through the experience. I love this approach as it helped me relate these seemingly controversial concepts about Jesus into my own life quite easily. He brings the word down to earth in a very accessible way.

On top of the powerful content, Stoner has a very dry, subtle wit that sneaks into even the deepest discussion points of the book. In the midst of learning a great deal about Stoner's childhood and his reflections on scripture, a funny comment would catch me off-guard and have me busting up laughing out loud in the middle of a quiet room or plane flight.

To be fair, I do feel the need to acknowledge another review that referred to Stoner's writing as combative, especially towards Rob Bell and his assertions in Velvet Elvis. Having read bits and pieces of Velvet Elvis, I can honestly say that I see where the gray area is, and how a misinterpretation of both Stoner and Bell could take place. My advice would be to explore both books for yourself. They're both easy reads and well worth your time. And while some may feel that Stoner's commentary of Bell's book is misplaced, at any rate, what he says is still very true in a general sense.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a new look at their faith, and a few good laughs along the way.

Stoner's "The God Who Smokes" is written intelligently, sensitively and transparently. He brings out biblical fundamentals in a compelling way as he shares insights into his own spiritual journey. Timothy is gifted with insight and is able to see where today's widely accepted ideas will end up "down the road" and puts forth a call of caution to all who would too quickly swim along in the stream of post-modern thinkers. With his excellent grasp of Scripture and an unerring devotion to faithfully exegete it, he calls us back to biblical basics and to the God who never changes. One doesn't have to be a theological student to understand the message. This book is a "must read" for all thinking young and older adults.

Philip Yancey, John Piper, Ravi Zaharias, and Donald Miller are among my favorite Christian writers. I am now adding Timothy Stoner to that list. He is honest, intelligent, theologically sound, and compassionate. An impressive combination! He allows us a glimpse into his life - how he thinks, what he thinks about, and how those thoughts have been shaped by experiences and the people around him. His is a superb writer, as well, drawing the reader in from one topic and one chapter to another. I read this on a plane and finished each chapter so excited I could barely sit still! I was sad to have finished it, but I will read it again and again. Once through is not enough!

It has long been held that you cannot judge a book by its cover, but is it possible to judge a book by its title? Admittedly, when first looking over The God Who Smokes by Timothy Stoner, I believed I was about to read a horrible book. A man named "Stoner" writes a book about a God who smokes-what is this, a theological treatise about marijuana? Stoner isn't a pothead, after all. Rather, he is the son of missionary parents who attended seminary before venturing off to law school. His passion for authentic Christianity is infused throughout the book. A seminarian cannot find fault with his exegesis of biblical texts, either.

It turns out, however, that you cannot judge a book by its back cover, either. Flipping the book over and reading the back cover lead me to believe I was reading a book that will bridge the middle ground between traditionalism in the church and what's come to be called Emergent Theology.

Emergent Theology is a shift away from the nuances bred by modernity to embrace postmodern ideology in Christian garb. Stoner's meditations seem little more than reflections of his life-with only one notable example of trying to bridge the gap between traditionalism and the emerging Church. With that said, the book is marvelously written, but not for the reasons disclosed on the cover. Its meditative qualities are amazing, not as a polemic about bad theology, but due to the fact that Stoner writes as a husband and a father. Transparency, with good writing, is indeed a great thing. Any person who reads this book will find him or herself puzzled by some illustrations but nodding silently with much of what is written.

Authors should be careful when choosing titles. Stoner rightly believes that God is so full of passion that he "burns," hence the title: The God Who Smokes. The subtitle insinuates that the work is a series of scandalous meditations on faith. Not hardly-and although it's somewhat disjointed, it is a good meditation for those on a faith journey.

Armchair Interviews says: A good analysis of a book that is different than the title indicates.

Is there middle ground between the Emergent movement and Evangelical Christianity? Timothy Stoner thinks so in his book The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith. While the book had a lot of truth in it, I found it difficult to follow at times.

Was he defending the Emergent movement? Was he critiquing Evangelicalism? I couldn't tell at times where he was standing on an issue.

He was certainly trying to write from an honest and raw perspective. Each chapter involves personal stories of heartache, blessings, hardships and successes. He certainly tries to place the focus on God and encourages us to refocus our lives on Christ.

He certainly addresses all sorts of issues, which are both a blessing and a curse for the book! I never felt any continuity between the subjects he was covering and couldn't force myself to read every page. His writing is readable, but didn't connect with me as much as I was hoping it would.

Would I recommend it? Probably. Will I read it again? Probably not.

There was nothing new in the book. I usually mark up books as I read, highlighting and taking notes, but at the end of this book I found nothing that was worth remembering. It was a lot of smoke, but little fire.