1 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Who Told You That You Were Naked? Is a non-fiction work, of critical analysis of the bible, looking specifically at sin. How sin started in the Garden of Eden and how God has redeemed his children with the sacrifice of His Son. The author of this book is a retired minister.
Starting positively, as does the book. The book starts off very strong, interesting, and thought provoking. The reader is taken through the story of Adam, with the creation of Eve, and through to their eventual original sin. The story is interrupted by the author to point out, and discuss certain elements. Such as, at what point does this sin become the sin? Or what part of the act of eating the fruit is the sin? Is it worse that Adam ate the fruit too? As the warning came from God to Adam, but Eve got it from Adam, and not God. Appropriate critical analysis format.
However, here the cracks start to show. The tagline on the cover of the book is ‘a refreshing re-examination of the Garden of Eden’, it is not. I didn’t find anything refreshing or new about the authors statements, nor were any of them particularly interesting. At one point the writer tells the reader that he is going to put forward new ideas, in his new way of looking at sin. The ideas may have been new to him, but not to the wider world.
This book hits a real turning point about half way through. We go from serious academic study, to the author telling the reader he hopes we will accept Jesus into our lives. He then proceeds to give us a few personal testimonies of the Lord speaking to him and his wife, and how great it is that they have faith. I found this incredibly inappropriate. I found the initial concept of the book interesting, and I could take the bible, as a book, and read a critical academic piece on it. I in no way signed up to be preached to. Where the change of tone happens is quite far in too, so it has to have been intentional. Needless to say this was my least favourite thing about the book, and frankly I found it almost offensive.
The only saving grace of this book would be in the earlier chapters, we discuss how different translations of the bible have influenced Christians in different parts of the world, as to what is taken literally or figuratively, and that was genuinely interesting. I’d also give a commendation to the editor. I didn’t notice a single spelling error, if there are any to be found then they would only be minor. I give this a rating of 1 out of 4 stars. Reason being, I don’t think we can give 0.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like alisonedgee's review? Post a comment saying so!