Acts of Faith Books In Order

Publication Order of Acts Of Faith Books

Acts of Faith is a series of Christian fiction novels written by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke. The books tell stories of love, romance, action, and sacrifice set in biblical times.

+The Story
Janette Oke has a heart for the Bible. And as a storyteller, she has always held a desire to retell the stories of the Bible through the perspective of female characters. Her wish finally came true with the Acts of Faith series which takes readers through the earliest days of the Christian faith.

When the Acts of Faith series begins in ‘The Centurion’s wife’, Israel is in a state of turmoil. Jesus has just died but the primary protagonists only know him as some obscure rabbi who drew the ire of the Roman Empire.

Readers are introduced to Leah, a girl who doesn’t really know where she belongs; born to a Roman man and a Romanized Jewish woman, Leah’s parents died, leaving her penniless.

She was fortunate to find employment under the watchful eye of Claudia Procula, her mother’s friend and the wife of Pontius Pilate. But Leah has never felt at ease among the Romans.

Her sense of isolation is heightened when Pilate is sent to Judea to fill the role of Governor, and Claudia follows him, dragging Leah along. There, Leah encounters the Jewish people for the first time.

Their hatred for the Roman people shocks her and she finds no more acceptance among their ranks than she does with the Romans. Leah begins the primary arc of the Acts of Faith series when Claudia asks her to infiltrate the followers of Jesus.

The dead rabbi haunts Claudia’s dreams. She wants Leah to learn everything she can about Jesus, not only the nature of his message but the motives that ultimately led to his death and the mystery surrounding his body’s disappearance.

Even as Leah attempts to come to terms with the hefty nature of her assignment, she must also confront her betrothal to Alban, a Roman Centurion Pilate has tasked with also investigating the death and disappearance of Jesus.

Pilate wants Alban to save his administration from the embarrassment they have suffered ever since Jesus’ body disappeared. And the brave, handsome fellow is happy to oblige.

However, it doesn’t take Alban and Leah long to grow entangled within one another’s missions. Their adventures and the decisions they make elicit consequences that reverberate throughout the Acts of Faith series.

It could be argued that the Acts of Faith novels are subdivided into three arcs. The first book throws a spotlight on the events of the days that immediately follow the death of Christ.

The second book takes a leap forward in time and focuses on the movement that began to form in the wake of Jesus’ death, this including the elevation of his disciples to positions of prominence.

The third book looks at the impact of the Message of Christ as it finally pushes past the boundaries of Israel to take root in gentile lands.

At the center of each novel is a hero and a heroine, protagonists who drive the plot both through their romance and their interactions with the Christian faith. The hero and the heroine typically originate from different backgrounds.

But they both have a purity and a sincerity that draws them to one another. The authors normally throw an obstacle into the mix, a past trauma, a hidden secret, a sense of mistrust that prevents the protagonists from getting together.

But as they interact with the follower of the Christian faith, they begin to change. Their initial engagement with the disciples of Jesus is normally driven by ulterior motives. But as they begin to befriend the followers of the way, they find that the message of Jesus has an appeal to it which slowly but surely changes their hearts, minds, and motives.

Before long, they are ready to leave everything behind—their families, their friends, the secrets that have held them back for so long—in order to pursue the message of Jesus, not to mention their burgeoning romance.

The biblical figures are highlighted but not explored in any significant detail. Individuals like Peter and Paul only exist to push the story of the protagonists from checkpoint to checkpoint, though a few disciples and apostles like Stephen play critical roles.

The Acts of Faith novels should be read in order because they build upon one another. For instance, Abigail, Leah’s best friend, is first introduced in ‘The Centurion’s Wife’ before she rises to a place of prominence in the story in ‘The Hidden Flame’.

Even though these novels are primarily romance, there is no sensual content.

+The Authors
Davis Bunn is an American internationally renowned bestselling author who writes historical and suspense fiction. He has produced works under the pen names of Thomas Locke and T. Davis Bunn.

Janette Oke is the daughter of a Canadian Prairie farmer. She came to fame when she wrote ‘Love Comes Softly’ in 1979. She has written numerous other novels over the years, most of them inspired by her strong faith.

+The Centurion’s Wife
Leah moves to Judea with her mistress and her husband, Pontius Pilate, just as a maelstrom engulfs the region, the result of a rabbi’s execution. Leah was already struggling with a sense of isolation, what with her Roman and Jewish heritage making her feel like she doesn’t belong anywhere.

Her arranged betrothal to Alban, a Roman soldier only makes things worse. The fact that they have both been charged with infiltrating the followers of Jesus and discovering his secrets doesn’t help matters.

Leah cannot bring herself to trust Alban. This is despite the fact that the more time she spends with him, the stronger her feelings for him get.

+The Hidden Flame
Abigail felt like she had nothing. Her only goal in life was to keep her brother safe. Then she discovered the message of the Messiah and it stirred her heart, driving Abigail to join the followers of the Christ.

Abigail wants to believe that there is more to her future than she can see thus far. But the men in her life, the suitors that desire her hand in marriage—a captivating Roman soldier and a bitter Hebrew Merchant—are making things difficult.