Review by joolay69 -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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joolay69
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Review by joolay69 -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
[Following is a volunteer review of "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William Combs.]
3 out of 4 stars
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“Who Told You That You Were Naked” is a captivating non-fiction book for all age readers. William E. Combs, a retired minister, offers a structured and detailed analysis of religious texts, alongside sharing poignant personal stories. He then invites the readers to reflect on each chapter by ending them with a list of relevant questions.
The book opens on the idyllic life led by the first humans Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. Their encounter with the snake is followed by their decision to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. Although one of the Bible’s most recognised stories, few would have studied this well-known passage of the Bible in such detail. For instance, William E. Combs clarifies the change of perception after Adam and Eve have eaten the forbidden fruit. At the beginning of their relationship, Adam and Eve were both naked and neither were ashamed of it. Once they committed the fault of eating the apple from the forbidden tree, they received the ability to differentiate good from evil. This newly acquired capacity of judging each other made them now feel ashamed of being naked – hence the title of the book! Sin is described as choosing evil over good – a word often misused when referring to Eve eating the forbidden fruit. The author then refers to the importance of devotion to God and faith as a continual walk throughout our lives. Many other biblical characters appear in this book, who have sinned and then received forgiveness through faith and devotion to God. The author also shares personal stories that are relevant, although in my opinion there were slightly too many personal anecdotes.
The author’s reflections are organised within ten chapters. I highly enjoyed the fact that he used a “scientific” style approach and that he has noticeably conducted thorough research. First he presents the evidence (the Bible verses), and highlights the most important parts to help the readers. Then he analyses in depth the evidence. From the choice of words, the possible translations from the original language, context, the choice of verb tense and pronouns or the use of passive versus active verbs, the author analyses the Bible verses with a fine comb. Finally the author raises relevant comments to increase the reader’s curiosity. The writing style of the author is commendable, with use of numerous metaphors and figures of speech, while using accessible vocabulary.
I particularly enjoyed the questions listed at the end of each chapter. My favourite ones relate to the thought that clothes protects us against judgement from others. When we sin, do we feel naked, without clothes to protect us from God’s judgement? Are we “clothing” ourselves with a high education, respectable job, wealth, only to impress others? The author particularly invites the readers to apply critical thinking to the Bible extracts as well as today’s life.
I highly recommend this book to all open-minded people willing to extent their knowledge on Christianity. As someone who has never read the Bible, I found it very interesting, clear and educative. I would also endorse this book for the critical thinking approach used, and I believe that this method would be useful to anyone.
Thus I rate if 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
“Who Told You That You Were Naked” is a captivating non-fiction book for all age readers. William E. Combs, a retired minister, offers a structured and detailed analysis of religious texts, alongside sharing poignant personal stories. He then invites the readers to reflect on each chapter by ending them with a list of relevant questions.
The book opens on the idyllic life led by the first humans Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. Their encounter with the snake is followed by their decision to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit. Although one of the Bible’s most recognised stories, few would have studied this well-known passage of the Bible in such detail. For instance, William E. Combs clarifies the change of perception after Adam and Eve have eaten the forbidden fruit. At the beginning of their relationship, Adam and Eve were both naked and neither were ashamed of it. Once they committed the fault of eating the apple from the forbidden tree, they received the ability to differentiate good from evil. This newly acquired capacity of judging each other made them now feel ashamed of being naked – hence the title of the book! Sin is described as choosing evil over good – a word often misused when referring to Eve eating the forbidden fruit. The author then refers to the importance of devotion to God and faith as a continual walk throughout our lives. Many other biblical characters appear in this book, who have sinned and then received forgiveness through faith and devotion to God. The author also shares personal stories that are relevant, although in my opinion there were slightly too many personal anecdotes.
The author’s reflections are organised within ten chapters. I highly enjoyed the fact that he used a “scientific” style approach and that he has noticeably conducted thorough research. First he presents the evidence (the Bible verses), and highlights the most important parts to help the readers. Then he analyses in depth the evidence. From the choice of words, the possible translations from the original language, context, the choice of verb tense and pronouns or the use of passive versus active verbs, the author analyses the Bible verses with a fine comb. Finally the author raises relevant comments to increase the reader’s curiosity. The writing style of the author is commendable, with use of numerous metaphors and figures of speech, while using accessible vocabulary.
I particularly enjoyed the questions listed at the end of each chapter. My favourite ones relate to the thought that clothes protects us against judgement from others. When we sin, do we feel naked, without clothes to protect us from God’s judgement? Are we “clothing” ourselves with a high education, respectable job, wealth, only to impress others? The author particularly invites the readers to apply critical thinking to the Bible extracts as well as today’s life.
I highly recommend this book to all open-minded people willing to extent their knowledge on Christianity. As someone who has never read the Bible, I found it very interesting, clear and educative. I would also endorse this book for the critical thinking approach used, and I believe that this method would be useful to anyone.
Thus I rate if 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like joolay69's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Roan by E. R. Barr
