Book Review of The God Who Smokes by Timothy J. Stoner

NavPress sent me this book about six months ago to read and review and I have had a tough time trying to figure out what to say about it. Not because it has nothing to say, but because it has so much to say that I don’t know how to review it in just a few words. I must say that since receiving this book I have devoured it.

Yes, this book does have a funny title by a guy named Stoner, but you will realize quickly that his play on words is serious. This is a book about how out of control God is, out of our control, that is. He is passionate, compelling and dangerous, Yes, I did say dangerous. This book reminds us that we’re in the middle of a battle, and while God is good, He is not safe.

Stoner does a great job of exposing the Emergent Church movement and reminding us that when it comes to God’s standards, there is to be no compromise. He looks at what Rob Bell has to say in his book Velvet Elvis and compares it to what the Bible says, and I think his conclusions will upset many Bell followers, but you can’t argue with Scripture.

So, do we as a church need to engage the culture? Yes. But, not at the expense of God’s standards. All I can say is that you should read this book. The fact that it is written by a lay-person and not a “theologian” was also very refreshing. This is one of those books that can change the way you think about a lot of things if you will let it.

I do have one criticism for the author. He makes a brief mention of Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle. It sounds like from his footnote on page 281 that he thinks Driscoll and Bell are part of the same church, just in different cities. Make no mistake about it, the only similarity between Driscoll and Bell is the name of their churches. That is where it ends. Mr. Stoner, if you see this, please note these guys are in no way connected.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”