Review of Who Told You That You Were Naked?

[Tehreem_Khan]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Who told You That You Were Naked? A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden is an exploration of the widely known and believed—at least in the religious circles—story about the origin of sin in a different light that puts into perspective some new ideas about the nature of sin and its extension into our lives. Pastor William E. Combs tries to redefine the meaning of sin by rejecting the notion of it being a list of deadly, harmful things, instead presenting it as a full-fledged phenomenon rooted in the inherent knowledge of good and evil in every human being.

He takes us right back to the beginning of everything in the garden of Eden where the fate of everyone to come is being written. One misstep, one transgression by the first couple led to a continuum of changes in the way things should have progressed in the heavenly abode to the descent of man into the earthly realm, with numerous other biopsychosocial changes that redefined our existence from what it originally was. The concept of sin, previously unknown, emerged and the first kill took place. The human saga unfolded in various sins and virtues, and ultimately ended with the Son of God liberating the whole humanity by sacrificing himself on the cross. Centuries passed, and the exact rendition and purpose of the happening still evade the human psyche. Many interpretations are still being offered. One such is here.

Without going much into the philosophical debate, the author has tried to challenge the idea of sin as a perceived list of deeds not to be committed. He presents sin to be the awareness of personal incapacity in contrast with others’ completeness leading to a sense of shame or “nakedness” in the person; this acts as a down-spiral for one’s psyche into the wasteland of sins and evildoings—“the fountainhead of our transgressions” to put in author’s own words.

Recitation of relevant historical and biblical events lifts up the narrative from a series of dry, theological arguments to a lively, researched, and enthusiastic account, and the author’s personal anecdotes add a flavour of individuality and intimacy to his propositions. This book is not meant to be skimmed passively rather demands active engagement on the part of the reader to better appreciate the author’s ideology.

This is clearly a religious work and, thus, targeted towards those who are, in practice or principle, related to Christianity, though other religions can also benefit from this. (The only thing that can be christened a shortcoming, in this regard, is the absence of a more comparative religious exegesis on the subject under consideration.) Definitely, atheists and agnostics are not a fit audience. For its readability and comprehensibility, this work demands praise. It was well-edited. It clearly knew its goal and didn’t drift from it for even a second. In consideration for the above-stated particulars, I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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[Aisha Yakub]

I agree. This book gave life and realness to already known abstract stories. Great review.

[Raluca_Mihaila]

The book seem to offer a lot of interesting ideas that will surely provoke the reader to ask more questions. Thank you for your detailed review!

[Unsullied]

One can tell it's an interesting book from the cover, thanks for the nice review.

[Tehreem_Khan]

I agree. This book gave life and realness to already known abstract stories. Great review.

Thanks. His fictitious narration specifically of the lamb as a partner for Adam before Eve felt so close to home.

[Tehreem_Khan]

The book seem to offer a lot of interesting ideas that will surely provoke the reader to ask more questions. Thank you for your detailed review!

Yes, it surely does.

[Tehreem_Khan]

One can tell it's an interesting book from the cover, thanks for the nice review.

You're welcome. It surely didn't disappoint.

[Bradley Shelvie]

From your review, it seems the author gives quite a sober exposition into this matter. Nice review!

[Tehreem_Khan]

From your review, it seems the author gives quite a sober exposition into this matter. Nice review!

Sober and easy to digest which I think is most important considering the general people he had in mind as his target.

[Sharon Christanto]

An amazing review! I should give this book a chance. I'll add it to my nonfiction list

[Tehreem_Khan]

An amazing review! I should give this book a chance. I'll add it to my nonfiction list

[MsH2k]

He presents sin to be the awareness of personal incapacity in contrast with others’ completeness leading to a sense of shame or “nakedness” in the person; this acts as a down-spiral for one’s psyche into the wasteland of sins and evildoings—“the fountainhead of our transgressions” to put in author’s own words.

An interesting way of phrasing sin. Indeed, it is becoming aware of our personal shortcomings, but the comparison to others (none of whom are themselves complete except One) would certainly send us on a downward spiral.
Thank you for your take on this read!

[Tehreem_Khan]

An interesting way of phrasing sin. Indeed, it is becoming aware of our personal shortcomings, but the comparison to others (none of whom are themselves complete except One) would certainly send us on a downward spiral.
Thank you for your take on this read!

Thanks for stopping by.