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

LadyClaire · Post by **LadyClaire** » 27 Jul 2017, 07:31

[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 by William E. Combs is a non-fiction book embodying more than a depiction of events in the garden of Eden.
Adam has just been ushered into a new home east of Eden by the Lord. What's more? The Lord, out of a rib removed from Adam's side while he slept forms a woman-a soul mate for Adam-with whom he can share everything. Their happiness is about to be short-lived for after the injunction not to eat of the fruit, the Serpent through deceit and cunning stratagem gets the woman to eat of the fruit and Adam through Eve becomes a partaker of the act.
That which was forbidden has been done and the couple suffers the consequences of such an act-the Fall. Somehow, the Fall has something to do with an awareness of their nakedness, but how can it be explained? Does it have anything to do with sin or is it sin itself? What effect will this have on their progeny-the human race? And can the human race elevate themselves from this debilitating condition on their own?

In today's world, people wander down many paths seeking fulfillment and security in forms such as love, more money and fame e.t.c. Its against this background that the book was written-that "freedom will come only through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Also, it will be readily seen that the author has departed from the course usually followed by writers on the subject of the Fall which is quite interesting and thought provoking. This insight is really refreshing as the subtitle to the book suggests.

The account given in the Old Testament is cold and monotonous. I was tempted to expect the same of this book but the reverse was the case. The author, once a pastor, but now retired, "loved to paint word pictures" and certainly "has carried that love into the writing of this book." The cold rhythm of the OT is especially suited to it for it invokes a certain feeling of reverence for the ancient writ and an attempt to make it more engaging might lead to desecration. The author's understanding of this is visibly seen with the interspersing of the treatise with quoted passages of the bible to maintain the needed balance.

Another thing I really liked was the lyrical style and imagery. The author used words in a way I never thought of but which made perfect sense. It made me see things in a way I never thought of. Whilst reading, I often caught myself nodding in affirmation and whispering the words "gosh! I know that already". What was even more amazing was the humor in the book considering its genre.

As I said earlier, the author maintains an unusual stance. I have previously thought of sin as a list of things to avoid. That definition have now been replaced with that of the author: "sin is not a list of errant acts" and has as its wellspring, the knowledge of good and evil. Faith also is not just a belief in God but a belief in God's will and desire for us. This stance taken by the author is beneficial to the work because of the plot twist and suspense it inspires in the work. An instance is after learning that sin was not a list of things one had to avoid, I exclaimed in disbelief:"why not?" This mystery was unraveled in the subsequent chapters.

Another thing I liked was the account tagged "personal testimonies" and the vignettes. The personal testimonies recount real life events associated with this book and the vignettes are so real, developed and full of humor. Understanding the concepts conveyed by the book was somewhat rigorous to me because I wanted an amazing grasp of the treatise. The personal testimonies and especially the vignette served as a comic relief. They were placed strategically such that after the rigors of careful thinking, one can revel in their childlike simplicity.

I found some confusing and vague explanations (loc. chapter 6) about God's nature and our relationship to Him. This is not uncommon in literature of this kind. I found just one error-an error in quotation (pg.143), which is probably a result of varying bible translations. Also, in the preceding chapters and occurring in some instance throughout the book, the author brings in lots of insights. This is good as it shows that the author is knowledgeable. I feel that in subsequent editions, the author should include short notes after every chapter, embodying these explanations mentioned in the main text. This would enable the reader read at an accelerated pace which enables better understanding.

Who Told You That You Were Naked? A Refreshing Reexamination is a fascinating christian non-fiction consisting chiefly of re-enactment of events in the garden of Eden. It's a great christian read which focuses on Faith in God and establishes the need for a Redeemer.
I have decided to rate this book 4 out of 4 stars without reserve because the author does not impose any of his findings on the reader. What he does is to produce study questions in such a manner that rejection if not impossible is minimal.
I recommend this book to all who wish to investigate Christianity, the budding Christians and to fresh theological students and anyone who loves a book well written, this is a great find.

******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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Donatelloo · Post by **Donatelloo** » 02 Aug 2017, 15:16

I have heard so much about this novel and I am planning to read this one . Thank you for such a nice review

LadyClaire · Post by **LadyClaire** » 02 Aug 2017, 15:35

Darakhshan Nazir wrote:I have heard so much about this novel and I am planning to read this one . Thank you for such a nice review

...go on, Nazir. It's definitely worth it.

Amagine · Post by **Amagine** » 02 Aug 2017, 18:47

I've heard about this book and have always been interested in it. Maybe one day I'll actually get around to reading it.

Great Review!

raikyuu · Post by **raikyuu** » 02 Aug 2017, 20:20

So, "Who Told You That You Were Naked" is a retelling of the old testament that is colorful? Interesting.

Jeremie Mondejar · Post by **Jeremie Mondejar** » 02 Aug 2017, 23:56

Very nice review. I agree with you. The personal testimony gives clarity to the topic.

nizakat sindhi · Post by **nizakat sindhi** » 03 Aug 2017, 00:43

interesting.i would like to read this novel

LadyClaire · Post by **LadyClaire** » 03 Aug 2017, 14:28

Amagine wrote:I've heard about this book and have always been interested in it. Maybe one day I'll actually get around to reading it.

Great Review!

Thanks, Amagine. You'll certainly find it an interesting read.

-- 03 Aug 2017, 14:32 --

raikyuu wrote:So, "Who Told You That You Were Naked" is a retelling of the old testament that is colorful? Interesting.

Very colorful...It's certainly something to look forward to.

-- 03 Aug 2017, 14:38 --

Jem Tomarong wrote:Very nice review. I agree with you. The personal testimony gives clarity to the topic.

Yes. The personal testimonies and the vignettes. It made the reading invigorating.
Thank you, Jem.

-- 03 Aug 2017, 14:42 --

nizakat sindhi wrote:interesting.i would like to read this novel

...please, make it a priority.

Quinto · Post by **Quinto** » 04 Aug 2017, 00:26

Thankyou for your detailed review on a lingering subject that can always be retold in a refreshing way. The title of the book itself reflects that profound question that jolts us into our senses, if not for anything, but, in to the realisation of the gravity of our actions. In this case knowing the question is from God himself, starts a new era of relationship with him and the human race.

LadyClaire · Post by **LadyClaire** » 04 Aug 2017, 15:30

Andrew Kyalo wrote:Thankyou for your detailed review on a lingering subject that can always be retold in a refreshing way. The title of the book itself reflects that profound question that jolts us into our senses, if not for anything, but, in to the realisation of the gravity of our actions. In this case knowing the question is from God himself, starts a new era of relationship with him and the human race.

Well said, Andrew Kyalo.
Thank you.

kislany · Post by **kislany** » 05 Aug 2017, 14:18

A great review! I'm not sure how I feel about the topic (I'm a lapsed catholic), so I'm glad that the author doesn't push his views and findings on the reader (regardless of the religion they talk about). I think I will pick it up, it should be an interesting read.

LadyClaire · Post by **LadyClaire** » 07 Aug 2017, 08:36

kislany wrote:A great review! I'm not sure how I feel about the topic (I'm a lapsed catholic), so I'm glad that the author doesn't push his views and findings on the reader (regardless of the religion they talk about). I think I will pick it up, it should be an interesting read.

Thank you, Kislany. Definitely, the book's not for everyone but the lyrical style of the author is a joy to read. Happy reading!

juliusotinyo · Post by **juliusotinyo** » 11 Aug 2017, 03:19

Thanks for your review. But i did find the tone monotonous. He kept going on and on about sin, quite boring actually. I've also reviewed it. Divergent opinions are always great

ritah · Post by **ritah** » 11 Aug 2017, 04:43

Thank you for the review, the book sounds like it shines on a new perspective on "sin" that's interesting in itself though I don't think the book is for me... I'm tempted to give it a read sometime out of mere curiosity.

LadyClaire · Post by **LadyClaire** » 12 Aug 2017, 01:14

juliusotinyo wrote:Thanks for your review. But i did find the tone monotonous. He kept going on and on about sin, quite boring actually. I've also reviewed it. Divergent opinions are always great

wow! I'm glad you also reviewed it.You're right, Juliu, but is that not what the book is all about? Anyways, I think there is an interesting balance in the book which makes it less boring and monotonous and I did recommend short notes after each page which readers can ignore if they wish.

-- 12 Aug 2017, 01:21 --

ritah wrote:Thank you for the review, the book sounds like it shines on a new perspective on "sin" that's interesting in itself though I don't think the book is for me... I'm tempted to give it a read sometime out of mere curiosity.

You're welcome, Ritah, choice differs. Thanks for reading my review and replying.