Redeeming the Beast

By Bethel Grove

Have you, like the Beast, ever believed that your worst mistake could never be redeemed?

 

The story of Beauty and the Beast is considered to be a timeless tale. However, what makes it so timeless goes far beyond the romance or the "happily ever after", but is the powerful theme of redemption at the heart of the story. That's why through this collection of 25 devotionals, you will:

• See the Disney retellings of Beauty and the Beast through a biblical lens, brought together into one cohesive storyline*
• Evaluate the consequences that your selfishness can have on other people
• Discover how to find contentment in the middle of difficult circumstances
• Observe how sacrificial love is more powerful than romantic love
• Learn how the Beast's physical transformation is a powerful parable of one's spiritual transformation through Christ

Including relevant Scriptures, discussion questions, and a study guide for a five-week group study, embarking on this devotional adventure will guarantee that you will never look at Beauty and the Beast the same way again.

 

*This book is not authorized or endorsed by The Walt Disney Company

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bethel Grove
• Release date: Oct 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201282950

Book preview

What People Like You Think about Redeeming the Beast:

"Redeeming the Beast is a wonderful allegorical interpretation of Disney’s classic film Beauty and the Beast through the lens of the Christian story of the Fall and Redemption. At least two things will become immediately apparent to the reader. The first is that Miss Grove is one of the world’s biggest fans of the Disney classic, going beyond the simple storyline of the fairytale to the deep underlying representations of the true human condition. The second is her grasp of Scripture in applying and understanding God’s great work of conquering the ‘beast’ within each of us as we yield our lives over to the Savior who is at the heart of the Christian story of redemption. I heartily recommend this devotional study for those wishing to catch a fresh glimpse of God’s great plan for everyday living."

Dr. Terry A. Bowland

Professor of New Testament and Philosophy,

Ozark Christian College

"Redeeming the Beast is a breath of fresh air in a world littered with empty, suffocating content. Bethel’s writing is thoughtful, relevant, and timely for the tumultuous culture we currently live in. Her deep dive into the metaphorical significance of this timeless story is eye-opening and enthralling. She writes from a place of conviction and I believe she deserves your utmost attention. In return, you’ll receive profound insight and wisdom that you’re sure to cherish for years to come."

Bailey T.

Communications Director

and Follower of Jesus

"Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favorite Disney movie. Hands down. Imagine my delight when I found out that Bethel Grove had written a devotional about Beauty and the Beast! She has taken elements from the story and woven them masterfully with Scripture. Readers will find that there are a lot of biblical lessons we can learn from this wonderful movie - turns out more than I thought! The ‘Going Deeper’ questions really cause you to think critically about each devotional. It's very well written and can be completed in 5-10 minutes a day. That's a huge plus for a mom that has a hard time doing devotions. I really enjoyed this devotional, and I highly recommend it to anyone, especially fans of the movie."

Becky W.

Homeschooling Mom

& Beauty and the Beast Fanatic

"Redeeming the Beast is a game-changer for any level Disney fan. She attempts and succeeds to document a biblical perspective on the Beauty and the Beast story of our childhoods. She doesn't hesitate to confront difficult topics and share the truth with her readers. Take a look at this book for a new view on the classic story; a biblically-grounded view on Belle's selflessness and the Beast's grace and mercy."

Maggie

High School Sophomore

In the day and age we live in, our culture is constantly pushing teens away from Jesus and Christianity. Author Bethel Grove uses something the world wouldn’t dare to dismiss, to share with her readers the greatest act of love. If you ask us, that is a story worth telling. While we knew the idea was great, once we dove into the chapters, we were hooked! Our favorite part is that at the end of each chapter, Bethel points us back to Scripture itself, so we can seek Jesus personally. We believe that God will use this unique idea for His glory! Kudos to Ms. Bethel, for using her gift of writing books and love of one of the best Disney movies out there to reach our lost generation!

Natalee, McKenzie, and Aly

Founders of Girls for Jesus Ministries

RTB - Title Page

By Bethel Grove

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Redeeming the Beast: A Devotional Adventure through Beauty and the Beast

© 2021 by Bethel Grove

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – for example, electronic, photocopy, or recording – without the prior written permission of the author. The only exception is for brief quotations in printed reviews.

Any inquiries about permissions should be sent to [e-mail]

Cover Photo by Dvid on Adobe Stock

This book is not authorized or endorsed by The Walt Disney Company or anyone associated with the production of any version of Beauty and the Beast that is owned by the Walt Disney Company or its affiliates.

The Scriptures quoted in this book are italicized by the author for distinction.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. Public domain.

To my friend Angela,

Just like Belle, you are beautiful both inside and out. I will never forget experiencing the live-action Beauty and the Beast with you for the first time. So grateful for our friendship and our shared love of Disney and Jesus.

RTB - Table of Contents

Introduction

How to Use This Book

Week 1: Once Upon a Time

1. Becoming a Beast

2. A Funny Girl

3. Safe

4. A Rose for Belle

5. I Want Adventure

Week 2: Barely Even Friends

6. Take Me Instead

7. Home

8. Me, Myself, and My Thighs

9. Be Our Guest

10. Get Out

Week 3: Learning to Love

11. If I Can’t Love Her

12. We Did Nothing

13. Days in the Sun

14. Unexpectedly

15. If You Marry Me

Week 4: Letting Her Go

16. Human Again

17. The Paris of My Childhood

18. A Night to Remember

19. Forevermore

20. A Change in Me

Week 5: New Life Begins

21. Kill the Beast

22. The Battle

23. A Life Transformed

24. Finding Beauty Within

25. A Story Worth Telling

Epilogue

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Welcome

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Source Material

Notes

Acknowledgments

RTB - Introduction

I’m pretty sure that I had never been more excited about owning a movie in my life. It was 2010 and I was a sophomore in college. While it’s true that I had purchased several DVDs for myself, this one was truly special. It was my favorite movie of all time, one I’d watched since I was a little girl. Despite knowing the movie so well, I was beyond excited to own and watch that DVD.

As I’m sure you have guessed by the title of this book, that DVD was the diamond edition of Disney’s animated classic, Beauty and the Beast. Since my family owned the original Classics Collection VHS from 1992, we did not get the first DVD release in 2001. Needless to say, I was disappointed, especially since this release had a music video from my favorite music group at the time, Jump5 (Seriously, I was pretty bummed). Several years later, our last VHS player broke, so we had no way to watch the film. So thanks to the crazy but brilliant Disney Vault strategy, I had to wait until 2010 to fulfill my dream of owning my favorite movie again.

As much as I was excited about watching the movie, there was something else I was even more excited to watch: an extra DVD full of bonus features. I spent hours watching the full-length documentary Beyond Beauty, as well as the countless other featurettes on the disc. But there was one featurette that I found that uncovered a powerful truth about this classic film and inspired this book. It has changed the way I watch the film, and I believe it will for you too.

This featurette is called Glen Keane – A Transformation, and it described how Glen Keane, the supervising animator of the Beast, found inspiration for animating the scene when the Beast transforms back into a prince. At first, Keane shared how he anticipated animating this scene and took inspiration from some different statues. But then, he came to explain that the reason why the transformation scene was significant to him was that it became symbolic of his own spiritual transformation. He even said that he had 2 Corinthians 5:17 written at the top of his exposure sheet as he was animating the scene:

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (KJV).

Keane further explained that he was grateful for the opportunity to express his spiritual transformation as a real-life parable through his animation. He concluded,

"I don’t know if there’s ever an illustration more clear as to what really can take place in a person’s