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

[Lavidainlife]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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If you’re a Christian and/or grew up in the church, you’ve probably heard the story of Adam and Eve a thousand times. You may think you’ve already learned all there is to learn from the scant details the Bible offers about mankind’s fall and subsequent ousting from the garden. Who Told You That You Were Naked? by William E. Combs begs to challenge that thought.

The author starts out detailing the familiar story, but offering a fresh perspective as he goes. As the title hints, the author focuses on the nakedness aspect of the story and what it means beyond simply not being clothed. He then goes on to explain how this relates to sin and our experience of it. He finishes the book with what it means for us in our daily lives and how to apply what we’ve learned to begin or strengthen our walk with Christ.

I'm not a Biblical scholar, but I’ve studied the Bible a lot. The story of Adam and Eve is very familiar to me but I still found that I learned a lot from Mr. Combs’ ideas. I liked how he was able to read between the lines and fill in details of the story that aren't specifically said. He clearly states when he does this and explains how he came to his conclusion.

I also liked how he goes on to discuss what the knowledge of good and evil really means and how Adam and Eve’s act separates us from God. The basic purpose of the rest of the Bible is how to be in relationship with Him once again. The author outlines this in a clear manner. He also adds some interesting personal testimonies that help to enrich the text and make his points clear.

The only criticism I would have for this book is the liberty the author takes with the story. For example, in the beginning of the book he tells a story where Adam sees an ewe being killed by a lion. It has always been my understanding that death entered the world with the Fall. Therefore, animals wouldn't have been killing each other before then. I went to check, and I didn't find where it specifically says, so maybe that was just something I've been taught and is incorrect.

However, the author also refers to gathering food as being demanding work and that Eve goes to find Adam after she eats the fruit. I imagine that Adam and Eve did work before the Fall, but I don't think it would have been demanding, as that is part of the curse. Also, the Bible does say that Adam was with Eve when she ate the fruit and not that she had to go find him. These are the only things that I felt may have been inaccurate and as you can see they're small issues that I don't believe detract from the book. The author is also very clear about the embellishments that he makes and does not present them as fact.

I only found two small spelling errors in the book so I would say that it has been professionally edited. It definitely didn't distract me as a reader. I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book is not boring or dry as books of this type can often be. I also don't think you need a theology degree to understand it. However, even if you do have one I think you can learn something from this book.

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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