Review by Abuta -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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Abuta
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Review by Abuta -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?
[Following is a volunteer review of "Who Told You That You Were Naked?" by William Combs.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Book Review: Who told you that you were naked? A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden by William E. Combs
Who Told You That You Were Naked? is a book based on an insightful re-examination of the origin of sin as understood by Christians struggling with prevalent religious legalism by William E. Combs. Combs’ main argument is that Christianity has missed out on an important point when it comes to understanding the origins and consequences of man’s sinful nature – thus embarking on a precise foundation to correct this misunderstanding. According to Combs, sin is as a result of the knowledge that humanity has inherited down the generations from the time Adam and Eve gained the knowledge to differentiate between good and evil. Before then sin was unknown to man due to lack of this knowledge.
Humanity tries to put together a chain of deeds that comprise sin and the acts that are righteous. However, in doing this we repeatedly fail to interpret that it is the knowledge of analyzing and differentiating good from evil that is the root cause of sin. It is only through faith in the Creator that we may hope to come out of sin because, unlike humanity, God does not only know about the root of sin but also understands our path to redemption than we do.
Reading the first chapter of the book may give one an impression that it is a study devotional book. However, going further the book reveals devotion, Combs’ personal testimony which puts much emphasis that he isn’t just writing but he much testifies to his claims and of course this is a theological study and analysis.
Combs has a way of presenting his claims and that can clearly be seen in the way he chooses and uses his words like an artist. In short he is a wordsmith. He employs a conversation like technique to bring out the picture on how the events might have played out in the Garden of Eden. It is easy to notice that he does not only index bible verses but also quotes the verses in case the reader does not have a bible near them. All this add substantial weight to his claims.
The major issue with Combs is that of too much speculation. That can be noticed right from the very first chapters of the book where Combs’ flow of the story might confuse those who have not read the bible to think that they can find the exact story in the bible. This can also make one to think that they are reading a fiction rather than facts on the author’s claims. For instance the following excerpt intends to create a picture in the reader’s mind on the happenings in the Garden of Eden but the reader might think this is actually an excerpt from the bible:
“Meanwhile, his wife traveled toward the northern end of the garden to gather the almonds that had fallen from the trees in the previous week.”
Overall the book is a masterpiece. I rate it 3 out of 4 as it lays a new foundation for understanding the origin of sin, an existing but widely misunderstood fact by the Christian faithful. Combs is right that it is only through faith that humanity endures itself to the Creator. The knowledge helps man to differentiate between good and evil but God has the knowledge and understanding and thus man must have faith in Him in order to secure redemption from sin.
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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3 out of 4 stars
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Book Review: Who told you that you were naked? A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden by William E. Combs
Who Told You That You Were Naked? is a book based on an insightful re-examination of the origin of sin as understood by Christians struggling with prevalent religious legalism by William E. Combs. Combs’ main argument is that Christianity has missed out on an important point when it comes to understanding the origins and consequences of man’s sinful nature – thus embarking on a precise foundation to correct this misunderstanding. According to Combs, sin is as a result of the knowledge that humanity has inherited down the generations from the time Adam and Eve gained the knowledge to differentiate between good and evil. Before then sin was unknown to man due to lack of this knowledge.
Humanity tries to put together a chain of deeds that comprise sin and the acts that are righteous. However, in doing this we repeatedly fail to interpret that it is the knowledge of analyzing and differentiating good from evil that is the root cause of sin. It is only through faith in the Creator that we may hope to come out of sin because, unlike humanity, God does not only know about the root of sin but also understands our path to redemption than we do.
Reading the first chapter of the book may give one an impression that it is a study devotional book. However, going further the book reveals devotion, Combs’ personal testimony which puts much emphasis that he isn’t just writing but he much testifies to his claims and of course this is a theological study and analysis.
Combs has a way of presenting his claims and that can clearly be seen in the way he chooses and uses his words like an artist. In short he is a wordsmith. He employs a conversation like technique to bring out the picture on how the events might have played out in the Garden of Eden. It is easy to notice that he does not only index bible verses but also quotes the verses in case the reader does not have a bible near them. All this add substantial weight to his claims.
The major issue with Combs is that of too much speculation. That can be noticed right from the very first chapters of the book where Combs’ flow of the story might confuse those who have not read the bible to think that they can find the exact story in the bible. This can also make one to think that they are reading a fiction rather than facts on the author’s claims. For instance the following excerpt intends to create a picture in the reader’s mind on the happenings in the Garden of Eden but the reader might think this is actually an excerpt from the bible:
“Meanwhile, his wife traveled toward the northern end of the garden to gather the almonds that had fallen from the trees in the previous week.”
Overall the book is a masterpiece. I rate it 3 out of 4 as it lays a new foundation for understanding the origin of sin, an existing but widely misunderstood fact by the Christian faithful. Combs is right that it is only through faith that humanity endures itself to the Creator. The knowledge helps man to differentiate between good and evil but God has the knowledge and understanding and thus man must have faith in Him in order to secure redemption from sin.
******
Who Told You That You Were Naked?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: "Puffy and the Formidable Foe" by Marie Lepkowski and Ann Marie Hannon
