4 out of 4 stars
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
William E. Coombs
Who Told You That You Were Naked? by William E. Coombs is called “A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden.” The introduction proposes a journey which will be an adventure. The introduction is autobiographical. The writer then follows a Biblical timeline from the creation of Adam in the Garden to his Fall. The author explains why a reexamination of Eden is necessary. At this point, the book moves into issues that move the reader through evangelistic topics common to a Gospel presentation, like faith, freedom from sin, Christian walk, rest, and following Jesus.
There are several interesting themes that I like about this book. First, I couldn’t agree more thoroughly with his comment “It is said the genesis of all biblical revelation has its roots in the first book of the Bible.” (p. 29) Secondly, the author’s doctrine of life and death are orthodox; and, he displays an evangelical view of the Gospel. Thirdly, the use of dramatization is effective in communicating the reality of the Genesis people and events. Fourthly, the book is full of good Scriptural teaching and fascinating testimonies to God’s working in people’s lives.
What I like most about the book is the verbal picture of Adam and the living things in the Garden. The description of Adam’s growth of understanding is perceptive. The author’s dramatization of Adam and Eve is vivid and instructive. These details certainly support the subtitle for the book “A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden.”
The author consistently introduces topics and themes without noticeable transitions. A sub-plot of personal testimonies is helpful in addressing the topics of the book. Much of the book is a set of Biblical doctrines that fail to connect except in a weak way to the idea of sin and evil and deliverance from the consequences of that situation. There are some places where the chapter has no relationship to either the title or the Genesis account like Chapter 8.
What I don’t like most about the book is the title. Who Told You That You Were Naked? doesn’t deal with the real subject of the book and is unclear suggesting that the reader will find help in a pornographic society like America. The title of this book implies that nakedness is evil and the author seems to do nothing to deny this dubious position. Disobedience to God is not highlighted but rather mistrust. Chapter 3 zeros in on a definition of sin using New Testament concepts. Throughout the book, the writer regularly defines sin as a “perception”. Sin is “our total inability to free ourselves from our feelings of nakedness.” (p. 148) The author seems to see sin as a relational fault and the sin in the Garden as a mistake. I think that is far too weak for the Biblical truth involved. To his credit, the author touches all the Biblical and theological points necessary for a thorough doctrine of sin but falls short of applying these ideas to either the title or subtitle he gives to his book. Cochran’s book of the same title approaches this topic in a more straightforward manner.
The author uses his personal perspective and writes clearly from a Christian worldview in a friendly tone. The pace of the book lacks clear transitions between the chapters. There are moments of brilliance as Adam is dramatically described and some testimonies presented as the chapters move along. On the whole, the book is not well organized, and narratives occur as they would in a preaching style. In fact, the book ends like a sermon.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to the reader who is attracted to the title for no other reason than curiosity. This reader will discover that the author leads the reader from interest to questions, discussions, then the possibility of a decision. The reader will gain much Biblical knowledge from this author’s exposition of Scripture and sharing of helpful anecdotes. Someone looking for a discussion of the doctrine of sin will find much to think about in this treatment of the subject.
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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