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

[AlexaRegina]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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Who Told You That You Were Naked, A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden is a book written by William E. Combs to reevaluate the events which brought sin and death into the world. It is an attempt to answer why many people today see the Gospel as irrelevant despite all the evil things happening in our society. It follows Adam and Eve in Eden, through the encounter with the serpent, eating of the forbidden fruit and eventually, enslavement to sin and death as a consequence. It also talks about living in faith and finding a way to redemption through Jesus.

The thing I notice about this book is it’s heavy – not physically, but in terms of its contents. It misled me into thinking that this is one easy read as it seems like reading a kid’s Bible storybook in the first few chapters. It explains thoroughly the feeling of nakedness, the concepts of sin, death and faith, and what it means to have the knowledge of good and evil.

The few short vignettes, as the author puts it, are the best parts. These are embellished stories of how the biblical characters interacted during the key moments of their lives. Though imaginary, these short stories succeed in making the characters more relatable. It makes it easier to imagine that they are real people like us, that they also have inner struggles and that they are not just the people favored by God. The author’s talent in painting word pictures is indeed commendable. His stories provide the needed contrast to the weighty topics of the book.

I am not as impressed, however, with the study questions for discussion at the end of every chapter. They are lengthy and give the book a textbook feel. They could have been more concise and more focused on the major points instead of going through everything in the chapter all over again.

This is challenging read for me but even so, I have learned many things about human nature through this. I also gain a deeper understanding about sin and faith. That and taking into consideration the totality of the book, I am rating this a three out of four stars. This is recommended for people who are curious about how we come to be this way – with all our desires and impulses – and want to embark on a spiritual discovery. There is no better way to start than reexamining what happened at the Garden of Eden.

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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