I am a non-Christian. This doesn’t mean that I do not read works that focus on the Christian faith. I do, as I believe every faith has something good to teach each one of us. That’s how I took up Who Told You That You Were Naked? as my latest read. I completed the book within a week and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Honestly, there is just so much to learn and absorb in this book that renders it almost impossible to rush through any of the chapters. One thing I can tell you about this book is this: take your time to read it, take breaks in between to allow your mind to savor what was just revealed to you, and see how it applies to your personal situation in life. It really helps.
A glance through the short blurb on the back cover of the book gives us some information about the author—William E. Combs. A retired Presbyterian minister, Bill Combs holds Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from the Fuller Theological Seminary. Leveraging his knowledge and experience in this book, the author reevaluates the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The key argument that the author makes is that—all our lives—we have misunderstood everything about “The Fall” and most of the message conveyed in the Bible. Our definition of “sin” is misplaced. No, sin isn’t a series of transgressions; rather, it is the knowledge we have inherited from Adam and Eve, which permits us to identify and analyze good and evil.
The book has just 10 chapters, each of which present a set of questions to us at the end that help us question our own understanding of the content of the chapters and also include open questions that we could discuss with a group of others interested in the subject. It is my personal opinion that asking ourselves these questions can increase our belief and our connection with God. Who knows, this might help us keep away from questioning his existence each time we encounter roadblocks in life!
Of all the sections in the book, my favorite was that which talked about the reason why God put the tree with the forbidden fruit right smack in the middle of the Garden. He could have chosen to not have that tree around in the first place and, thereby, completely uprooted (pun intended) all chanced of Adam and Eve succumbing to temptation. To top all of that, God also offered this couple the choice of path they could take in this matter—eat the fruit or continue to be his obedient creations. The author has inspired me to take some of the lessons offered in the book quite seriously and alter some of my own habits to have more faith in God every living minute of my life. It might sound easy, but I know it will be quite an uphill task. But then, I am positive.
One flaw I noticed in the grand scheme of the book is the author’s inclination to speculate. He makes some presumptions throughout some parts of the book about the biblical content that are instances of unadulterated conjecture. Most theories he presents in the book are absolutely impressive and convincing; however, these other theories have little in the form of substantiation to help us truly believe them.
Nevertheless, this book is brimming with wisdom and insight from the author. Therefore, I recommend it to all readers looking for a sound Christian faith book. In addition to the author’s point of view on the diverse aspects relating to Christianity, you will also come across some instances in the book where he describes some wonderful stories about how God communicated with him and his wife and how that transformed their lives completely. I found some minor spelling and grammar mistakes, but these issues certainly aren’t enough to stop me from rating this book 3 out of 4 stars.
A Wanderer's Postcards 