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

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 22 Apr 2018, 22:17

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

4 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

Anyone who spent their childhood years going to Sunday school is very familiar with the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. It’s even common knowledge for non-churchgoers, so much so that it might be surprising that an author could spend a whole book discussing it. Nevertheless, William E. Combs, the author of Who Told You That You Were Naked, successfully does just that. He describes his writing as an effort to focus intently on the Old Testament and draw deeper understanding from it.

The book starts out retelling the events surrounding Adam and Eve's creation. The author uses a first-person narrative snapshot to show the reader how Adam might have described the garden of Eden. These short stories, found throughout the book, are a very effective way to help the reader identify with a story which involves history and culture that are different from theirs.

In this first chapter as well as throughout the book, Mr. Combs draws out deep theological points that many a churchgoer may never have thought about. For instance, he discusses how God would have known that none of the animals would be an adequate mate for Adam, but he assigned the task of naming all of them so that Adam could come to this realization himself. Later he points out the fact that Adam and Eve did not realize their sin or their nakedness until they saw each other. This is attributed to the theory that their shame came from comparing themselves to each other and feeling inadequate. Until that moment they were in a pure relationship with no doubts. Later Cain killed Abel for the same reason – he felt that he was less than his brother and could never be worthwhile. This concept of sin as not a list of negative behaviors, but instead an internal attitude mainly triggered by feelings of inadequacy, is developed through the book. I appreciated his theory that modern man still struggles with this and tries to ‘cover’ himself with wealth, education, power, or even religion without realizing that the true deliverance is found in faith and surrender to God.

This book far exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed how the author moved easily from scripture to story to theology throughout the book. Even the stories, although technically historical fiction, were well researched and based on facts. I’ll never forget his explanation of how much discomfort fig leaves can cause a person’s skin. Each chapter also has discussion/thinking questions at the end. I was pleased that these were not simple, fill-in-the-blanks type questions. They went beyond the scripture and even beyond his own discussion. I was also impressed with his referring to the original Biblical language and pointing out the challenges of translation.

I did feel that the last chapter was a little deep and perhaps difficult for the non-theologian to understand. Nevertheless, the majority of the book was intellectual but well explained. I did not find any grammatical or editing errors. I am therefore giving it 4 out of 4 stars. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a deeper look into the early stories of the Bible.

******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like teacherjh's review? Post a comment saying so!

jvez · Post by **jvez** » 24 Apr 2018, 01:30

Great review

I am nor one for theological books, but your review makes me feel I should give this book a shot. The concept of sin as something that springs from one's own insecurities is something that really picked my interest. I want to know how the author expounds that.

Mildred Tabitha · Post by **Mildred Tabitha** » 24 Apr 2018, 02:07

I like your review and I have read the same book too. I also found more information than I expected. I agree that chapter 10 was a little more complex to understand and only theologians could.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 24 Apr 2018, 10:01

Thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to read my review.

kfwilson6 · Post by **kfwilson6** » 24 Apr 2018, 10:03

It sounds like the author provides a unique analysis of the beginning of the Old Testament that is written in an entertaining and easy-to-understand manner. The Bible can be baffling for so many people and it's great to have a those who have studied it provide deeper insights about the true meaning. For instances, whether a certain story in the Bible is meant to be literal or figurative. Thank you for the review. You did a great job.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 25 Apr 2018, 15:25

kfwilson6 wrote: ↑24 Apr 2018, 10:03 It sounds like the author provides a unique analysis of the beginning of the Old Testament that is written in an entertaining and easy-to-understand manner. The Bible can be baffling for so many people and it's great to have a those who have studied it provide deeper insights about the true meaning. For instances, whether a certain story in the Bible is meant to be literal or figurative. Thank you for the review. You did a great job.

Thanks for reading my review. It is interesting how the Bible is full of so many different types of literature and we so often get bogged down because we don't know the history or the culture.

Helen_Combe · Post by **Helen_Combe** » 25 Apr 2018, 15:55

The book sounds quite deep but well explained. Thank you for an interesting review.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 26 Apr 2018, 11:31

What a lovely review! I have yet to read this one, but it does sound like he brings up some very good points about God and Sin. Thanks for your take on it!

Ashley Louise · Post by **Ashley Louise** » 27 Apr 2018, 15:25

Great review! I was considering reading this book but had been on the fence, but your review has definitely encouraged me to read it myself! Thanks for your take on this!

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 27 Apr 2018, 21:03

Thanks everyone for leaving me such positive comments.

rusalka · Post by **rusalka** » 30 Apr 2018, 06:55

This was a great review. I'll be honest, the book has been in my suggestions for a while now but I kept avoiding it ... might give it a try after all. Thanks!

Dolor · Post by **Dolor** » 02 May 2018, 09:18

I am familiar with the stories in the Bible because I was Christian at birth and had Bible Study and Catechism classes way back in my elementary and high school years. There are a few differences between the Islamic and Christian explanations of the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis. I'll bypass reading this book. I am not interested to know the author's view on this topic. Thanks for the great review.

AmySmiles · Post by **AmySmiles** » 06 May 2018, 21:03

Great review. Not sure yet if I'll pick this book up or not. But your review has convinced me it would be worth it.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 06 May 2018, 23:03

Dolor wrote: ↑02 May 2018, 09:18 I am familiar with the stories in the Bible because I was Christian at birth and had Bible Study and Catechism classes way back in my elementary and high school years. There are a few differences between the Islamic and Christian explanations of the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis. I'll bypass reading this book. I am not interested to know the author's view on this topic. Thanks for the great review.

I would be interested to hear the Islamic version of the story. Thanks for reading my review.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 08 May 2018, 14:14

AmySmiles wrote: ↑06 May 2018, 21:03 Great review. Not sure yet if I'll pick this book up or not. But your review has convinced me it would be worth it.

I liked it more than I thought I would. I hope you enjoy it also.