Toward a Theology of Pipesmoking

by Arthur D. Yunker

This is golden tale of tribulation and tobacco, the noble weed and the queen of the sciences, academic and petitionary incense into your care. These words come to you not as retransmitted or retyped. Instead, they come to you just as they originally were written, then photocopied, PDF'd, and put together in a published work. For some of you, this work will be a step back to when you were in seminary during those dark days of the '70s to find a light heart and quick wit of a student in the midst of a cloud of confusion. For some of you, like me, it will give you a glimpse into a time past and a pastime nearly gone. These words come from Arthur the seminarian when he was but a freshly lit seminarian with the robust and glittering bowl that will draw you into the tastefulness that is, "Toward A Theology of Pipesmoking."

73 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Clark Goble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually a bit of a second read for me, but my first go around was more of a skim and I enjoyed the opportunity to take a closer look at this short work. Yunker wrote Toward a Theology of Pipesmoking with his tongue firmly in cheek and the result is a charming and engaging little book. The author begins by refuting the traditional arguments against pipesmoking and then makes a case for the practice. He also includes a myriad of practical advice for those who engage in the practice.

Best of all, Yunker writes all of this using the language of theology. while his work is meant to be humorous, he makes an honest argument that pipesmoking, when practiced ethically, is an "eloquent witness to the whimsy of our Creator" (p. 11). Christians who have reduced their faith into mere moralism may find Yunker's book off-putting - which is probably why they should read it.

As far as I know, this book isn't available for purchase anywhere, however, it can be found for download if one is willing to look around the web a bit.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book was frequently hilarious and often surprisingly thought-provoking. What began as a playfully irreverent parody of theological, writing chock full of theological in-jokes, ultimately took a surprisingly deep turn toward a serious (though never dry) consideration of a Christian's appropriate enjoyment of worldly things. Definitely worth downloading and reading.