Today, Concordia Publishing House (CPH) announced the release of The Garden of Eden: Create. Meditate. Restore., a new coloring book for adults. The Garden of Eden is the first in a planned series of adult coloring books to be published by CPH.

The Garden of Eden combines the benefits of creative downtime with the blessings of devotion time. The coloring book features forty-three beautiful and intricate illustrations paired with Scripture verses focused on God’s creative work in nature.

“Coloring while meditating on God’s Word is an active, concrete way to focus on what God says to us in the Bible. It encourages us to put aside the distractions of daily life. When we do that, we can be fully present in our prayers,” says Peggy Kuethe, senior editor at Concordia Publishing House. “This coloring book connects the mental benefits of coloring with the Word of God. It helps us replace the busyness of everyday life with an intentional focus on what God has given us in His creation—beautiful, fascinating variety.”

Coloring books have emerged as a popular genre for adults. Nielsen BookScan estimates that 12 million copies were sold in 2015. In addition to providing an outlet for creativity, experts believe that coloring can reduce stress, promote healthy sleeping patterns, increase focus and creativity, and more.

“When coloring, we activate different areas of our two cerebral hemispheres,” says psychologist Gloria Martínez Ayala. “The action involves both logic, by which we color forms, and creativity, when mixing and matching colors. This incorporates the areas of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine-motor skills. The relaxation that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress.”

To order The Garden of Eden, visit cph.org/thegarden or call 800-325-3040. For more information, contact Lindsey Martie, CPH Public Relations, at Lindsey.Martie@cph.org or 314-268-1303.

About Concordia Publishing House

Concordia Publishing House (CPH) is the publishing arm of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. For over 146 years, CPH has been providing individuals, churches, and schools with products that are faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. From books and Bibles to church supplies, curriculum, and software, CPH offers over 8,000 products to support the proclamation of the Gospel worldwide. Visit CPH online at cph.org.