The Christian Gentleman's Smoking Companion: A Celebration of Smoking to the Glory of God

by Ted Kluck, Zach Bartels, Erin Bartels (Contributor)

What do a Christian pop star, a pope, a Puritan, and a full-fledged member of The Gospel Coalition have in common? A love for cigars and pipes. Are you aware of the smoking progression from seminarian to senior pastor? Did you know you’re probably lighting your cigars wrong? Did you know that smelling a cigar tells you next to nothing about its origin, quality, or flavor? If you answered no to any of these questions, it’s in your best interest to read this book. Immediately. Inside you’ll find • brief profiles of prominent Christian smokers, past and present • what to look for (and avoid at all cost) in a cigar lounge • helpful articles on types of cigars and smoking accessories (so you don’t look like an idiot out there) • a list of cigar brands and what they say about you • a helpful guide to living with your anti-smoking wife • and much more With wit and wisdom, Ted and Zach restore the act of smoking cigars and pipes to its proper place—that of an enjoyable pastime that helps men connect with God and each other in a way that could not be facilitated by, say, your typical small group meeting, with wives in tow, kids screaming in the back yard, and a plate of smooshed brownies on the coffee table. If you love to smoke (or want to love to smoke [or want to love someone who loves to smoke but you just can’t get over the fact that they are smoking]) to the glory of God, get ready to laugh, learn, and linger over these pages.

Genres: Christian Living

134 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2013

About the author

Ted Kluck writes on topics ranging from Mike Tyson to the Emergent Church. Ted has played professional indoor football, coached high school football, trained as a professional wrestler, served as a missionary, and taught writing courses at the college level.

Reviews

[Ben Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, Kluck and Bartels keep things light and borderline satirical. At the same time, would have preferred a more organized makeup to this kind of a book, not everything needs to be "off the cuff" sounding to still come across as natural.
Enjoyed learning bits and pieces about the history and craftsmanship of cigars, but the most enjoyable were the numerous quotes and insights from Christian figures of the past who enjoyed a good cigar (along with other blessings of earth) to the glory of God. Of course one of the most famous quotations comes from Spurgeon, "I intend to smoke a good cigar to the glory of God before I go to bed tonight." (Sep. 20th, 1874)

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't smoke cigars or pipes, but this book is a fun read. Favorite parts: "great moments in literature and film if a main character were replaced by James Suckling" and "In defense of things that are old."

[Bobby Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun and some good intro material for new cigar smokers

The authors take a deliberately light tone, mixing real information (and serious topics like government overreach) with broad humor to make a fast and easy read. One gets the sense that the authors have enough background and appreciation of their topic to have written a very serious book on the benefits of enjoying a cigar in fellowship and contemplation, mixing classic and contemporary sources, but they clearly did not want to hit the reader over the head with that kind of serious tone. That might have been a great book, but it was not the goal here. Instead, we have a fun and quick read that shares basic information for new smokers with enough theological background and discussion to get the basic thoughts out and prompt contemplation, mixed with some good-natured humor and making fun of such diverse characters as hipsters and megachurch pastors. Serious smokers can seriously debate topics like what flavors are detectable in the cigar and whether modern zippo fuel truly impacts the flavor of the cigar, but that is totally missing the point. Just enjoy the book and savor a cigar to the glory.

[Matt Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what I was expecting. I'd say I really enjoyed 75% of the book because it included helpful information or good stories. The other 25% was odd joking material.

[Ethan West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic fun little book. I picked it up after hearing the authors on The Babylon Bee podcast. I actually did learn some stuff too.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clever, fun book. It is has plenty of wit and doesn't take itself too seriously. I'm not sure if the authors know as much about cigars as they think (there's a little more to cigar tasting than "it's delicious or terrible") but I see the point of shunning pretentious over adjectivization (if that's a word). Great quotes and examples of theologians, writers, preachers, etc. throughout history.

Fun read.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly not for everyone, but snippets like Pa from Little House and William Wallace replaced by James Suckling? Haha! A few formatting issues in the Kindle version (proofreader must get a bonus for every hyphen), but well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

[Scott Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is ok one of those books that you devour in one or two sittings. This was an absolute wonderful read! Incredibly informative and yet light hearted and funny...I confess I had to Google James Suckling.

If you enjoy smoking cigars or pipes, I highly recommend this book!

[Brandon Bellinghausen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of unnecessary spacing. Good intro to how to properly enjoy cigars (not a lot of info on pipes).

All good Calvinists enjoy a smoke.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool book about Christians that smoke or smoked cigars and pipes to the glory of God... Some of the 'humor' was not very humorous. I would have liked more in the biographical sketches.

[Trevor Winsor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilarious, light-hearted, and informative. I love the tone in this book. If you’re a pipe smoker or cigar smoker, this book is beautifully written for you!