4 out of 4 stars
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In his book, Who Told You That You Were Naked?, Dr. William E. Combs, a retired Presbyterian minister, took us back in time to the well-known Biblical story of the garden of Eden. The book, Christian nonfiction, provides us with a fresh re-examination of what happened between Adam and Eve and the knowledge of good and evil, more specifically, the origin of sin.
The target audience of Who Told You That You Were Naked? is anyone with an open mind towards the Bible, or who is at least curious enough to read one. If you are categorically against anything religious, then this book is not for you. Furthermore, if you haven't read the book of Genesis, I would suggest reading the first four chapters to gain context, since Who Told You That You Were Naked? is based on the story of Adam and Eve. The book provides an approach to looking at sin which is quite contrary to the orthodox one.
The book consists of ten chapters. The first three describe the first four chapters of the Bible, while the other seven chapters link those events to our lives and our struggles with the feeling of nakedness. Although Biblical experts might question the theological accuracy of Dr. Combs' narration of the events which took place in the garden of Eden, I suppose this type of storytelling is exactly what readers need for them to have a mental image of the said events.
There are three things I love about the book. At the end of every chapter, the author summarises in the form of questions, making Who Told You That You Were Naked? a perfect material for Bible study, school curricula dedicated to Christian religious studies, as well as for Biblical colleges. Secondly, each chapter contains fragments that are enlarged to serve as points of emphases for the reader. Finally, the personal testimonies of Dr. Combs are practical, insightful and relevant to the subject matter.
I have two problems with the book, however. The first one is that Dr. Combs didn't justify the use of a specific version of the Bible. We do not know if it was based on personal preference or if there were some other reasons. Secondly, if you are not an American or familiar with American colloquialisms, you might find some explanations daunting. Notwithstanding, none of these undermine the validity of the points made in the book and the logically coherent ideas.
I found Who Told You That You Were Naked? easy enough to read, yet not watered down considering the seriousness of the subject matter. The book is exceptionally well-edited, insightful, and also thought-provoking. These made me award it 4 out of 4 stars. This book is a must-have for the Christian reader who wishes to do in-depth research on the book of Genesis. I would also recommend it to anyone inquisitive enough to ask those ancient questions, what is sin, where did it come from and is death the consequence of sin?
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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