Review by Misa Appiah -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?

Misa Appiah · Post by **Misa Appiah** » 15 Oct 2018, 13:56

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Who Told You That You Were Naked? A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden written by William E. Combs, a former Presbyterian minister, is an interesting analysis of the story of the Garden of Eden, the fall of man and the concepts of sin and salvation. This book is a well written and edited study of the foundational principles of christianity. It is an easy and enjoyable read, a focused and succinct discussion of the christian message.

Combs focuses on genesis and as already mentioned Adam and Eve and offers intriguing thoughts on the behaviour and motivations of the two and the nature of the fall. He speculates that when Adam and Eve ate the fruit of knowledge and gained an understanding of good and evil they experienced a spiritual death and that their nakedness in the aftermath of their act of transgression means much more than lack of clothing. Combs challenges the conventional definition of sin as a list of misdeeds and the interpretation of what the sin of the first man and woman was.

I personally am not a christian and have not read the bible and I found this book quite enjoyable and appreciated the skill of the writing in condensing the complexity of the bible without losing any substance. This is an excellent study guide for biblical doctrine that is suitable for people who are new to the bible and more knowledgeable readers. The study questions at the end of each chapter help to reinforce the ideas of the chapter and make you spend time thinking about them.

Combs utilises stories about Adam and Eve from outside the bible and for more puritan minded christians this might be problematic. The same people will likely also object to Combs's reexamination and reinterpretation of scripture. Any reexamination of scripture is bound to anger some believers. Combs makes use of personal stories to add his own experiences with the bible and "the light". These testimonies help connect the reader to the importance of the bible and christianity in the context of everyday life.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for being a well written and edited book on vitally important topics that is accessible and unafraid to reexamine and challenge conventional understanding of sin and the fall of man and what it means to have inherited the knowledge of good and evil from Adam and Eve. This book is an important one for the modern era with its rampant consumerism and corporatism and the rapid spiritual and moral decline we are witnessing.

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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