Abingdon Press has combined fiction with Bible study in a new line for women, “The Faith and Fiction Bible Study” series, launching next month.

The first titles of the series—which uses novels as a backdrop for exploring biblical themes—will include studies from authors Melody Carlson and Barbara Cameron. Each study runs six to eight weeks and includes a participant book for group members ($14.99), a leader guide ($12.99) and a DVD featuring interviews with the author ($39.99). 

The first study, Healing Waters: A Bible Study on Forgiveness, Grace, and Second Chances (August), is based on Carlson’s “The Inn at Shining Waters” trilogy. It invites women on a journey to healing, a journey in which God invites them to experience His love and mercy, and where they will learn how to restore broken relationships.

“Forgiveness, healing and grace are all factors,” Carlson said. “The important thing to remember is that God will lead us on this journey, and He promises to walk every step of the way with us. My hope is that you come to know with all your heart that God is good. He forgives and heals.”

The second study, Her Restless Heart: A Woman’s Longing for Love and Acceptance (March 2013), is based on Cameron’s novel Her Restless Heart—the story of an Amish woman caught between the traditions of her faith and the pull of a different life. Drawing on the theme of restlessness and the longing for fulfillment, the study explores the Bible’s answer to the need for love and aims to equip and encourage women as they seek to know God’s plan for their lives. 

Appropriate for women’s Bible study groups as well as reading groups exploring spiritual themes in fiction, the studies include plot summaries, character sketches and key excerpts so that reading the novels is not required.

Abingdon, an imprint of The United Methodist Publishing House, is planning additional titles in the series in 2013.

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