Review by Cara Kincaid -- Who Told You That You Were Naked?

[Cara Kincaid]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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Who Told You That You Were Naked? by William E. Combs is an eye-catching title that might even elicit a giggle from the potential reader. Maybe you, your child or grandchild enjoys fifteen minutes or more of naked time. Steamy fresh from a bubble-filled bathtub runs a naked child with a little bit of happy in your own skin feeling. The smile this mental picture of the happy child brings to a stolid face is the same smile William Combs’ gentle treatment of this religious subject matter will create.

The title makes one think, who did tell me I was naked? How could this realization apply to an adult, non-fiction book located in the Religion section? A Refreshing Reexamination of the Garden of Eden, its sub-title, naturally leads you to the conclusion that Adam and Eve are the focus of both the nakedness and this work. William Combs successfully explains the difference between one’s bodily physical death and spiritual death or, a permanent alienation from God.

This is the true sorrow of Adam and Eve’s forced exit from the Garden of Eden: the realization of the heaviness of being bound to the corruptible flesh, their nakedness. How William Combs draws the reader deeper into the story of Adam and Eve is simple yet masterful. Pulled from his personal experiences and years of sermon notes, he gives us a text modernizing Adam’s thoughts so we can identify. He also animates Adam and Eve by removing their two-dimensional, static, storybook Bible treatment.

There are two difficulties with this book. First, a reader may find they will note pages and paragraphs introducing ideas they would like to read again and remember. Only a difficulty if you do not have a notebook nearby. Second, at the end of chapter eight, the book begins to sound more like a sermon swinging away from the story of Adam and Eve. But this is not a proselytizing missive of Christian apologetics meant to win souls to Christ through argument. If non-believers or skeptics choose to read the book, they could skim the areas of doctrine at the end of chapter eight, or skip it entirely and still derive an understanding of how Christian believers view humanity’s fall from the Garden and why it is still a relevant story.

The questions posed at the end of each chapter are thought-provoking and would stimulate conversation if this book was used in a Bible study group, book club or classroom. For those who want to consider or who enjoy pondering religious beliefs and ideas, these questions would be a good spring board for jumping headlong into theologically weighty subjects.

One succinct statement William Combs writes which is worth everyone’s attention, whether your personal beliefs are Christian or not, is, “Don’t try to drive the darkness out, just turn on the light.” The children’s song, This Little Light of Mine, is recalled.

The cover of this book deserves one comment. An ever tempting, juicy, sweet and tart, red apple was chosen for the picture adorning the cover. It draws equal attention as does the title. A delightfully scented scratch-n-sniff sticker placed strategically on the apple picture might entice a reader to keep the cover closed and remain kidlike scratching and sniffing and dreaming of a bite. But resist temptation and open the book.

This book receives 3 out of 4 stars. William Combs knows his subject matter and writes clearly and confidently. However, Biblical subjects are not as widely marketable as others. This may limit the number of books printed and its availability.

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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
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Like Cara Kincaid's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Donnavila Marie01]

I love the meaasage of turning on the light. Often times, this is what we forget. We are looking for extra ordinary things to happen but we never realize that great things happen every minute of the day. We just have to turn on the lights so that we may and others see.

[Gingerbo0ks]

This sounds like a good read for Christians and none Christians alike. I like how it seems to pose questions rather than just telling a story or stating a message. This has come up on my list of ones to review and your review has been helpful in explaining more what the book is like