Review by Kunnskapsrik -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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Kunnskapsrik
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- Latest Review: "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William Combs
Review by Kunnskapsrik -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
[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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Title: Who Told You That You Were Naked?
Author: William Combs
Publisher: Carpenter's Son Publishing
Genre: Christian Theology/Bible-Study/Non-Fiction
Who Told You That You Were Naked? Is written by a retired Presbyterian Minister. It looks at the creation story and uses it as a lens to examine the problem of sin and how it relates to modern day thinking about sin and relationship. This is a refreshing view of the creation story and original sin and could be a valuable read for new Christians or those who struggle with the ideas of rebellion in the creation story.
The book is full of personal testimonies and illustrations from Pastor Combs and his wife Miriam. It begins with one such illustration and quickly launches into his interpretation of the creation story. He uses some creative license. As an example, in Chapter One, after Adam witnesses a lion take a ewe he found an orphaned lamb, brought it home and “was delighted to observe the lamb pronging on a little knoll in the shelter. Adam decided to call her Lively.” It is easy to get bogged down into whether that would actually take place in the Garden of Eden or not. Setting that aside, the book does a great job of explaining relationship and the fight against good and evil in a Christian’s walk. He ties the creation poem with Paul’s letters in the new testament, creating a cohesive argument for each of his points.
Some of his many great insights are that humans do not feel the shame of nakedness in front of animals because they do not have the ability to judge. This is an interesting perspective. He also makes a point near the end about the importance of hearing God’s voice. The Bible shows us how others have historically heard His voice. I have heard many sermons on how The Bible contains all the answers a Christian will ever need. This book does not say that. If anyone has ever opened the Bible to find out which job to take or what to study at university and been disappointed then you are not alone. This book gives great direct perspective on that issue and teaching.
I picked up Who Told You That You Were Naked? thinking that it would be another religious book full of condemnation. Instead I was pleasantly surprised. It illustrates many things that are important for Christians to realize about God and about how God interacts. I was thrilled at the very end when Pastor Combs discusses some of his creative approaches in the Endnotes of the book.
The only thing I wish is that the book defined, for those who are not well studied, what Nephilim are. However, the discussion questions at the end of each chapter are insightful and lend the book to being used in a Bible study very well. In a Bible study context it would probably be easy to have the Nephilim question answered as well. It is well written and well thought out. This book would be good for new Christians and mature Christians alike and could be used as a great teaching instrument. Overall I give Who Told You That You Were Naked? a 4 out of 4 for well supported, easily understood, and insightful theological content.
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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4 out of 4 stars
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Title: Who Told You That You Were Naked?
Author: William Combs
Publisher: Carpenter's Son Publishing
Genre: Christian Theology/Bible-Study/Non-Fiction
Who Told You That You Were Naked? Is written by a retired Presbyterian Minister. It looks at the creation story and uses it as a lens to examine the problem of sin and how it relates to modern day thinking about sin and relationship. This is a refreshing view of the creation story and original sin and could be a valuable read for new Christians or those who struggle with the ideas of rebellion in the creation story.
The book is full of personal testimonies and illustrations from Pastor Combs and his wife Miriam. It begins with one such illustration and quickly launches into his interpretation of the creation story. He uses some creative license. As an example, in Chapter One, after Adam witnesses a lion take a ewe he found an orphaned lamb, brought it home and “was delighted to observe the lamb pronging on a little knoll in the shelter. Adam decided to call her Lively.” It is easy to get bogged down into whether that would actually take place in the Garden of Eden or not. Setting that aside, the book does a great job of explaining relationship and the fight against good and evil in a Christian’s walk. He ties the creation poem with Paul’s letters in the new testament, creating a cohesive argument for each of his points.
Some of his many great insights are that humans do not feel the shame of nakedness in front of animals because they do not have the ability to judge. This is an interesting perspective. He also makes a point near the end about the importance of hearing God’s voice. The Bible shows us how others have historically heard His voice. I have heard many sermons on how The Bible contains all the answers a Christian will ever need. This book does not say that. If anyone has ever opened the Bible to find out which job to take or what to study at university and been disappointed then you are not alone. This book gives great direct perspective on that issue and teaching.
I picked up Who Told You That You Were Naked? thinking that it would be another religious book full of condemnation. Instead I was pleasantly surprised. It illustrates many things that are important for Christians to realize about God and about how God interacts. I was thrilled at the very end when Pastor Combs discusses some of his creative approaches in the Endnotes of the book.
The only thing I wish is that the book defined, for those who are not well studied, what Nephilim are. However, the discussion questions at the end of each chapter are insightful and lend the book to being used in a Bible study very well. In a Bible study context it would probably be easy to have the Nephilim question answered as well. It is well written and well thought out. This book would be good for new Christians and mature Christians alike and could be used as a great teaching instrument. Overall I give Who Told You That You Were Naked? a 4 out of 4 for well supported, easily understood, and insightful theological content.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William Combs
