Some online naturist friends from Twitter have been featured by various news outlets recently for wanting to spend Christmas nude. I made the mistake of reading several of the comments under some of their stories. In a way, I’m glad I did, however. I knew a negative bias exists against naturists, since I once held those very antagonistic beliefs. But after years of being more open minded and free in my views, I needed a reminder of the pervasive ignorance that is out there, and these comments emphasized this point and then some. This is another reason Aching for Eden exists and why I have enjoyed reading from the relatively small niche of naturist fiction books. They are doing what they can to offer a level-headed and accurate portrayal of what naturism actually is. It is not at all what the general public thinks or imagines it might be. Naturist fiction is a great way to normalize naturism against the tide of popular opinion.
We’ve reviewed a few different books and authors on this blog (here, here, and here). Over the holidays, I got to read another book that I had preordered on kindle and just came out. That is the subject of this quick review.
“Who Knew?” by Rowland Jr. was a pleasant Christmas treat. According to the about the author page, “Rowland Jr was a former University Professor, who in early life lived and worked in numerous locations around the world. Still working into his late seventies right up until his death in March of 2021, even attending conferences worldwide when his expertise and knowledge were required, he wrote profusely on many subjects, both fiction and non-fiction and on many fora. He was a published author, and a devoted and blissfully happy husband and proud father with an unshakable faith. He loved books and buying books, was a cheese connoisseur with a fascination for ravens and a love of naturism.” This story was first published in 2016 on naturist-Christians, but in this form this year. I did not know Rowland Jr. while he was alive, but I very much appreciate his offering into this much needed space of both information and inspiration.
Going back to the intro of this post, the stories and situations in this book, though fictional, could come from real life. As a naturist, I can relate and envision how these scenarios in the book could play out in my own relationships or acquaintances. There are accurate portrayals of the knee jerk reactions of people who are outside of the know when they hear about naturism for the first time. This is a lot like the ignorant comments I mentioned before on Twitter. What I love about naturist fiction is the affirmation of my own beliefs manifested in other characters and their interactions with others. It gives me a good sense of relief in knowing, “I’m not crazy!” Left to the crowd-sourced opinions of most everybody, you’d be left to assume that we are all crazy. However, when you really study what naturism actually is, those opinions are shown to be the actual crazy positions. In naturist fiction like “Who Knew?” and others, young people who are from naturist families prove to be more well adjusted in life over their non-naturist counterparts. The craziness of naturism becomes the better philosophy over the common alternative of body shame and squeamishness.
“Who Knew?” is a nice story with several interesting characters and plot points. As a naturist, it’s a delight to read. What’s more? As a Christian naturist, the scenes depicting Christians who are also naturists are entirely relatable. What seems so outlandish to so many becomes humorous to those in the know. In “Who Knew?” there are pastors and deacons and church leaders who happen to enjoy the freedom of clothes free living from time to time. In real life, the same is true. Who knew?
There are also those whose practice of religion forbids them from ever entertaining the idea, let alone studying to see how it reconciles with God’s original intent in scripture. In “Who Knew?” and in real life, it’s their loss.
One more pleasant surprise in this Kindle volume, is the original artwork done by Ben Nijssen throughout the book. Get your own copy today.
Click the image to see on Amazon.
You may also read about other fiction featured on this blog:
This is a review of the naturist fiction novels of D.H. Jonathan. If you read this blog often, you may have already heard of D.H. Jonathan, even if you don’t know it. It’s the pen name of our friend Dan Hawkins, who we have featured a couple of times already. Here’s a video of Dan explaining his books, and then I will share my thoughts. The transcript is included at the bottom, if you don’t want to watch the video which features nudity.
As Dan stated in the video, these aren’t Christian books. However, they have some Christian themes coming through them. They are meant for a wider audience, not just the very small niche that is Christian naturism. I appreciate this approach, to introduce some Christian ideas and concepts in a non-threatening and tactful way. For this reason, there are also some elements in the stories that might make some Christian uncomfortable. Some language. Some eroticism. However, his characters are portrayed as real, and that these things are to be expected. He will be the first to admit that the characters have some wrong ideas about nudity and grow through them as the stories develop. I can commend Dan on this authentic progression.
I’ve read all three novels. I think my favorite is his newest, “The Girl Who Stopped Wearing Clothes.” Here is one section that resonated with me quite a bit:
“Tell me,” Don said, “have you ever heard of Imago Dei?” Adam wasn’t sure he heard him correctly, so he just shook his head no. “It’s Latin for ‘Image of God’. Genesis says that we, human beings, were created in that image of God. When God was almost finished with creation, he called it ‘good’. Then he made us human beings. And he called that ‘very good’. We were made in the image of God, and it was that image that upgraded creation from good to very good. So when we humans call the nude body obscene, call ourselves obscene in fact, we are also calling that image of God obscene. I cannot abide that, especially in this day and age when the Internet has given us an epidemic of pornography.” “Pornography?” “Yes. A pandemic of it.” Adam scratched his head. “You know, a lot of people called Dani’s Stossel episode pornographic.” “And therein lies the problem. When people, and especially those within the church, take a pornographic or sexualized view of the body, they become unable to distinguish between what God has called very good and what Satan has used for lies.” “So you are anti-pornography?” “Oh yes. Absolutely. Pornography is one big lie. It’s addictive and destructive, both of those who make it and those who consume it.” “But you don’t think what I’m trying to do is pornography?” “What is it you’re trying to do?” That was a good question, Adam thought. (page 164)
And later this excerpt:
He took a long pause, looking out at everyone in the makeshift pews. “I’m going to be honest with you. We have a pornography epidemic. And I’m not talking about in the world; I’m talking about within the church. And not just within the church membership. Within the clergy.” He paused again, as if to let what he had just said sink in. “In one survey I’ve seen, 63 percent of pastors confirmed that they are struggling with secret sexual addiction or compulsion, including, but not limited to, the use of pornography. 63 percent. And what does it tell us that 63 percent of the people who are supposed to be guiding us have a problem with pornography? First, what is pornography? What is its essence? Pornography is a lie. A lie from Satan. It lies about how people look, how people act, how one can achieve pleasure with no responsibility, no consequences, no sacrifice, no patience, no kindness, no love. And how do you counter lies?” He paused, and Dani heard a few people mumble “Truth.” “Truth,” the pastor said, holding up a Bible. “Truth. Truth is not found in the rules of society, in legalism. Truth is found here, in the word of God. (page 206)
So you can see here that there are sections with the naked truth being revealed and propped up in stark contrast to the lies we have typically believed. This is done in a way that is both entertaining and inspirational. He pulls from his own experience, mostly in his “Life Models” book, but also asks himself what the characters in all his stories may be feeling. Those raw emotions come through the pages in very real ways that you as the reader can sympathize with and feel.
If you haven’t read anything from D.H. Jonathan, you may want to add him to your reading list!
I’m an author right under the pen name D. H. Jonathan, which is actually kind of a variation of my real name because I was blessed with two middle names Daniel Hoyt Jonathan Hawkins. So I’m up here names, dates, Jonathan, the first novel is called “The Volunteer.” It’s about a an experiment in public nudity. And it’s kind of an idea I had, you know, modeling for a class and having to get dressed to leave.
I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could just be naked all the time?” So I started turning that idea into a novel and then to draw up more conflict I thought, “Well, what if somebody had to be naked?” Well, that changed the whole the whole idea around. And then the second novel is called “Life Models.”
And I worked on that a lot longer than I worked on “The Volunteer.” It’s fiction. There are some things in it, some just episodes that actually happened. But the whole story is just fictional, made up, and it’s basically a love story between two people who model together for an art class, and that’s how they met. And actually, the genesis of that idea came from watching a movie called “When Harry Met Sally.” And when Harry met Sally there are these scenes that are intercut with the main part of the movie where couples or older couples are sitting on the couch talking about how they met. And I remember the first time I watched it, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if this old couple came on and talked about how they were both naked when they first met?” So that was the genesis of what became “Life Models,” because I started thinking, well, how can I have two people first, me naked and just modeling for our class?
I just went with it. And of course, there’s a lot of of me in that book, a lot more so than “The Volunteer.” They both delve into the faith of the characters, Christianity, but they’re not really Christian novels. I wouldn’t call them faith based novels. I never really considered writing a faith-based novel because I always thought it was like preaching to the choir.
I want to reach a wider audience, and even if I just put a hint of faith or Christianity in it, maybe, maybe somebody will get an idea that, “Hey, you can be a nudist and a Christian at the same time.” Because most people, especially people I’ve gone to church with see them as incompatible, because that’s what we’re taught by society, that naturism and Christianity are two separate things.
My personal friend R. B. Mears just released his book “Chain Breakers – A Novel about the Naked Truth” on Amazon Kindle. I was excited to read it, and it proved to be quite an entertaining ride. The story follows the protagonist, Matt, as he discovers a powerful truth most in the world and (especially in Christian circles) are completely unaware exists.
You can read the author’s description of the book below. It shows most of the plot, so nothing I have to say will be a spoiler. What I appreciated from this book was the innocence and childlike wonder that it portrays. Older characters are reawakened to simpler times when there was more freedom and less shame. Religious minds are educated about the way prudish thinking can trace its origins way back at the beginning in Genesis 3. Genesis 1 and 2 is a much better place to be and the situations in this story are very eden-like. Naturists know that even after the fall, this existence isn’t out of reach or beyond belief. This book isn’t shy about speaking of the way Satan has blinded so many as ruler of the world. (That’s a chapter in my upcoming book as well, so I was happy to see this largely ignored concept portrayed repeatedly.)
It’s fun, insightful, and inspiring. It motivates me to be even more bold in my outspokenness as to the effectiveness of Naturism to fix many problems that abound in society faster than anything. The proliferation of pornography and the abundance of body shame and low self-esteem are easily done away with through the tenants and beliefs of naturism. Young kids take center stage in this story teaching grownups what God can do through his power if we would but humble ourselves and believe.
The one phrase that came to my mind as I read the book was “unbelievably believable.” There are many scenarios and encounters that result in immediate transformation. Even the author writes the “unbelievableness” factor into dialogue in a couple of instances. It seems too good to be true and far-fetched. However, as a Christian naturist myself, I found the stories of instant night and day changes believable. That’s really what happened with me, so it was a joy to relive that through these many characters over and over.
Get the book here!
Mear’s tale of toughness, boldness, courage, and sensitivity will make your heart happy if you are one who has been freed from chains that held you back. If you are a in a bondage as you read, it is my friend’s prayer and ours as well, that you would be made free through the naked truth.
The name “Chain Breakers” is not just a neat club name and mission statement. It is also an homage to the oft stated resource of MyChainsAreGone.org, which we highly recommend. Fun fact: Aching for Eden is also mentioned in the story!
I recommend “Chain Breakers” to young people and adults as well, who are open minded enough to have faith like a child to reclaim the innocence and wonder of our created state.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
Caleb held up a hand. “If you could, would you want to see porn right now?” Matt and Ben stopped their frisbee catch, and both looked at Sam. He shook his head and looked at each of them for a moment. “No. I really wouldn’t. It’d seem kind of gross right now.” Ben threw a look at Sam. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!” (p. 42)
“I’ve found that only 1% to 3% of a populace will be those who seek the truth and embrace it. In philosophy, it’s almost a given that if you find yourself in agreement with the vast majority of people, you’re on the wrong side of an issue. The problem is, most people look to the crowd to decide what to believe, who to like, and even who to vote for.” Sam looked serious. “I’d rather be right than be popular.(p. 52)
…his mom said. “Everything I’ve ever been taught screams that it was wrong, but I realize now the Bible had no issue with what we did. A year ago we both would have thought all that nakedness would’ve left our boys scarred. The truth is, they both seem like it was the best thing ever for them. Sam has changed so much I’d swear he’d been abducted by aliens if I didn’t know better.” Sam gave a short laugh. “I feel a lot different too, mom.”(p. 67)
…if your brother is teaching you kids about this, he needs to learn he’s playing with fire. Being naked inmixed company is the sort of thing that causes lust and sexual problems.” Matt realized the man was trying to make a point. “And wearing clothing all the time would fix that problem?” The man nodded, trying to sound authoritative. “Of course. That’s why we have to wear proper clothing.” Matt smiled. “No. Wearing clothes is surrendering to sin. Christ dying on the cross is the only thing that gives us the ability to crucify our sinful nature. We can rely on the blood of Christ to keep us from sin. My friends and I chose to circumcise our hearts, and because of that, we see one another innocently when we’re naked, as God intended us to do.” The man looked down on Matt. “Well, you’re still young enough not to be tempted by lust, but it will cause problems when you’re older.” Ben moved forward. “You’re wrong. My brother is seventeen, and we both used to look at hardcore pornography all the time. I know what lust is, what it feels like, and what it can do to your soul. My brother and I started going naked in our everyday lives to face the sinful nature and make it flee in God’s name. We learned a lot about it on a website called MyChainsAreGone.org. Because of that, porn is disgusting to my brother and me now. Look it up on that website and see for yourself.” The man looked completely confused. (p. 130)
Grandpa said. “It was a bit different then. Things were hard, but we boys had fun. This river was a lively place back then.” “Did you and your friends skinny-dip back then?” “Well, we didn’t call it that,” Grandpa chuckled. “We just called it swimming. No one had a swimsuit like boys do today.” “Were you just that poor?” “Well, we were poor, all right, but even the wealthy boys swam naked in the river. I expect a boy swimming in shorts back then would’ve been laughed at.” “What if people saw you?” Chris asked. Grandpa chuckled. “Son, everyone saw us. No one cared, and we sure didn’t. We weren’t bashful like boys are today. If someone had seen us and acted shocked, we all would’ve just laughed.” “That’s hard to imagine,” Chris said. “Not really,” Grandpa said. “If you had been raised with us, you would’ve gotten over your shame pretty fast. In a way, I feel sorry for your generation because you can’t experience that. I think you’d feel a lot different about yourself if you did.”(p. 146)
“I didn’t mean to make everyone mad,” Ryan said. Sam smiled disarmingly. “We’re okay, Ryan. That type of thinking just really seems sick to us now that we’re away from it. It has a pull on you now, but you can escape that pull the same way we did. You can be a part of this club and be accepted, but you have to practice innocent naturism.” “The de-scummification process has begun,” Mike said. (p. 215)
“The issue about clothing is the same. Most Christians have been tricked into thinking the body is evil, and throw away freedom of the body. They cover it in shame. Today the view of the body is owned by Satan. It’s almost like he has the copyright. God’s followers won’t even talk about the body in a normal way. If a kid is curious about God’s most wonderful creation, he has to go to Satan’s realm to see the body. Satan uses that power to destroy lives with his porn and sex outside of marriage. Modern Christianity has given Satan this power. (p. 248)
The truth is that Almighty God Himself is the author of mixed, innocent nudity. God proclaimed it as good. It was Satan who taught man to be fearful of being seen naked. “Satan didn’t like seeing God walk with man in the cool of the morning. Satan hated that Man was made in God’s image, and didn’t want to see it displayed. Now the question for all of you is this: Adam sinned, and brought us all into sin. But Jesus gave Himself to save us and undo what Adam did and more. (p. 267)
I just don’t get it. Why is it so important for everyone to be naked?” “Like I was telling you,” Matt said, “it isn’t important to be naked. It’s important to be able to be naked. It’s all about strengthening the connections between your body, mind, and spirit. If those connections are strong, your whole being gets stronger, and your connection to God can grow.” (p. 289)
“Okay, you say you’d give anything. What if it costs you or your parents nothing. No money at all, no work, and only fun? What if all you had to give up was the shame, fear, and self-hatred you’re feeling now?” “And clothes,” Ben said laughing. “You’d have to wear the clothes God made for you.” (p. 300)
“Today, you’ve all seen a great deal of evidence that what these young people have done is a good thing. The world will now do everything it can to shame you out of supporting it. You all have decisions to make about how you’ll handle this. (p. 328)
Here is the author’s description of the novel:
It is Matt West’s 14th birthday, and in a tense moment Matt finds himself rescuing another teen trapped and hanging by his legs from the sharp barbed wire on top of the stadium fence. Matt helps the boy escape, but the victim’s shorts remain hopelessly bound in the barbed wire, and the boy he rescues falls to the ground naked. Kids are gathering.
In a moment that changes his life, Matt hands the injured boy his own shorts — leaving himself completely naked. Matt refuses to hide, and defiantly stares back as a kid he doesn’t like videos him. Things seemed even worse when the sheriff pulls up and his 14-year-old daughter — who Matt knows — sees him naked.
Matt becomes a hero to his family and the first responders for his self-sacrifice, yet when the video goes viral on a pornographic web site Matt suddenly learns who his true friends are, and that pornography is a horrible plague for teens and young adults everywhere.
Matt’s friends learn of a web site called MyChainsAreGone.org that helps them defeat the effect of pornography in their lives. Together they skinny-dip in an old farm pond and learn that simple, innocent nudity is a powerful tool to fight the errors of modern Christian purity thinking of the body. As they study the Bible, they face temptation and sweep it out of their lives. The teens form a club called the Chain Breakers that helps other teens in their church and town escape the porn cycle and live free. As their church is split by their understanding, an old preacher explains they have learned a truth as old as the Bible itself, and that God can use their innocent naturism.
The families of these brave young men and women get organized, and a whole new Christian ministry of healing is formed. Read along as the Chain Breakers change lives, have fun, and learn about real freedom.
If you are struggling with the effects of pornography in your life or the life of someone you love, this book has been written to help you understand you can once again have the mind of a child when it comes to lust, worldly thinking, and porn. You can join a Christian Naturist movement that has accepted the power of Christ’s sacrifice to heal the mind that has been so damaged by Satan’s lies.
Aching for Eden 