Review by ktrae910 -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?

[ktrae910]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William E. Combs.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?, by William E. Combs, is a Christian non-fiction book that can be read straight through, in sections, or as a devotional.  I read it in sections and used the extensive cross-references and endnotes to dig deeper. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of the effects of the knowledge of good and evil on mankind.

This book is a recounting of the Fall of Man, as told in Genesis, and its implications for the world.  Combs puts his own twist on certain aspects of the story, embellishing parts, but did not change the story as it is told in the Bible.  Combs introduces new characters to the story to make Adam and Eve seem more real so we are better able to relate.

This book examines many concepts with which most Christians are familiar.  Sin, death, rebellion, nakedness, fear, shame, life, salvation, and trust are some major themes of the Bible.  These are some themes examined in Who Told You That You Were Naked? in a manner that I have never seen before. 

An example is my accepted belief that Eve rebelled against God when she took the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Rebellion suggests that she knew it was wrong and she wanted to do it anyway.  If she didn’t have this knowledge already, how could she rebel?  This is just one example of many that this book has caused me to reconsider.

The result of having the Knowledge of Good and Evil is very complex.  I’m sure I don’t have a complete understanding even after reading this book.  It has given me a lot to think about while I continue to study the Bible.  

Combs does a very thorough job of citing cross-references in the Bible and other works which influenced this book.  It would have been easy for him to miss some of these because this work is a result of a long career as a minister and a doctor of divinity. I am sure much of the subject matter is information he knows well already and could have easily miss citing.

This book is well thought out and professionally edited.  I did not notice any spelling or grammar errors or any formatting errors. It is easy to read and it flows naturally.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for its extensive citations and for Combs’ ability to make Adam and Eve more relatable. 

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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[kdstrack]

You express some very interesting thoughts. The idea of rebellion is intriguing. Someone once explained to me that when Adam and Eve were created they had a perfect love of good but not a perfect hatred of evil. That is why Eve did not feel repulsed by the devil from the very beginning of their conversation. I really enjoyed your review. Thanks!

[ktrae910]

That would make sense. Adam and Eve would have had no knowledge of evil at all before eating the fruit of the tree. Thank you.

[Alice Heritage]

It sounds as if this book provides an interesting and fresh perspective on a story which I believe is often misinterpreted, or at least interpreted in an oversimplified way. As you say, when you get into it, it is not so easy to tell right from wrong or good from evil. It is interesting to know what guidance the Bible can provide. It's good to know that this book is so scholarly with full references. Thanks for a review that gave a clear impression of the book.

[Ashiyya Tariq]

It's a good book on man's initial journey from heaven to earth. Your review is great. I have also reviewed this book. Feel free to check out my review.

[mandalee519]

I love that you make a recommendation of the book in your first paragraph. This helps potential readers figure out if the book would be of interest to them. I also enjoyed how you mentioned the individual concepts the book tackles and the various ways the book can read.

[Espie]

If this book is as perfectly-written and uplifting as you found it to be, then it should go to my Want to Read list. I've done it already, in fact. Thank you for your descriptive review.

[Anthony__]

I have read this book. It's really thought-provoking, I think the author wrote it based on his personal encounter at 5 yrs. To gain more from it, the reader have to reference Bible as a supporting documents for personal encounter. Great review!