4 out of 4 stars
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Who Told You That You Were Naked? A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden by William E. Combs does exactly as it’s titled. It examines the precise way sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It examines sin, death and the knowledge of good and evil. It examines sin’s influence in Adam and Eve hiding from God in the Garden of Eden, the flood and Cain murdering his brother. It states that sin is the knowledge of good and evil, which every person inherited from Adam and Eve. This intellectual skill is ingrained in us and cannot be avoided.
The book starts out with a personal story from the author’s childhood. He talks about going to Alaska from Phoenix. He also talks about his grandfather building the family’s outhouse. He recounts one night in particular. On his way back inside from the outhouse, he sees the northern lights for the first time. He shares this personal adventure with the reader and then invites them on another so-called adventure to reexamine the origin of sin in the Garden of Eden.
What I liked most about the book was the author’s use of bible scriptures. The book is very biblical based. He refers to scriptures quite a bit. He even includes the scriptures in the text for quick reference. At the end of each chapter, the author includes study questions for discussion and reflection. I also liked that he included personal stories throughout the book to help the reader relate to the topic in today’s world.
The author included fictional narratives of biblical events as if the reader is experiencing the events for themselves. For example, he describes the Garden of Eden from Adam’s point of view and the serpent betraying Eve from her point of view. He describes what Adam and Eve may have been thinking at the time. He paints a picture to help the reader relate to the event and really understand it. Although the narratives added relatability, I had trouble following along with them at times. This is the only complaint I have of this book.
I would recommend this book to anyone. I think anyone could benefit from this book. However, I think a basic knowledge of God and creation is necessary to fully understand and appreciate the book. The book is heavily based on scripture and without a basic understanding of God as the creator and all of creation, the deeper meaning of this book might be missed. I would very much recommend this book to scholars and those studying the bible. I think this book would be good for a bible study because of the discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
I rate this book 4 out of 4. It was a quick read that furthered my knowledge. It really made me think outside of the box. This book was very well written and edited. This book was really thought provoking. This book is a must read for all believers.
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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