Review by Sara Kay -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?

[Sara Kay]

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

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2 out of 4 stars

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Who Told You That You Were Naked? is an interesting blend of storytelling and commentary by William E. Combs. The whole book is wrapped around the question of what “sin” is. Through the artistic retelling of various Biblical stories - mingled with personal memoirs, detailed explanations and reflective questions - the author begins to prod a monstrous topic. Why was eating a fruit wrong? Can “sin” inherently infect the next generation? What is “sin”? Have we been wrong about the definition of wrong for all these years?

As the book begins to unravel, it appears to be a novel, but then slides into theological explanations and discussion pages. The remainder of the book continues shifting between these two different writing styles. Although the stories add a fresh fragrance to some well-worn topics and the commentary adds depth, this constant alternating tended to fragment the overall reading experience. The explanations and questions also gave the impression that they had been slipped into the book in order to justify the author’s stories. Having fleshed out a few different Biblical tales with his own interpretation, the author understandably felt he had to explain his reasons. However, this seemed to transform the commentary into a weapon of premeditated defense and the discussion pages into lists of leading questions. In my opinion, this was one of its greatest flaws.

Interlaced with the richness of the original Greek and Hebrew meanings as well as some thoroughly researched context, the book did intrigue me with its unique view of sin. William E. Combs didn’t sink into the familiar idea of sins as long lists of forbidden actions. Instead he pulled various sources, verses and stories together to shape a comprehensive picture of what sin is, where it comes from and why it is a factor in life. He also plunged into the implications of this new picture on other threadbare words used in the Christian culture, such as faith and crucifixion. This resulted in a very thought-provoking piece of literature.

I would give this book 2 out of 4 stars. Although I personally didn’t enjoy the overall reading experience, the topic was very interesting and others might enjoy the way William E. Combs presented it. The book was very well edited, which would earn it an extra half a point, and I only noticed one area of confusion with verb tenses. Pretentious words in the dialogue and other areas stilted the flow of writing slightly, but there were some beautifully written sections - such as the personal story in the introduction - that show promise for future books from this author.

A fascinating and unique book, both in structure and in perspective, Who Told You That You Were Naked? delves into some of life’s most complex and strange questions. I would recommend its use in a Bible study or reading group. Based on the author’s discussion questions, this might have been his original design for the book. It would definitely be an insightful read for someone who is curious about different perspectives on stories of the Bible. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is exploring the profound intricacies of “right” and “wrong”.

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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