All publishers come from a particular theological and social location. Pay attention because once the perspective of a publisher is known, it is easier to understand the viewpoint of the resources from that publisher. Knowing that can be a major time-saver when looking for resources. Here is a list of major publishers and a brief description of their publishing focus.
Abingdon Press – Abingdon Press is the United Methodist Church press that publishes academic, professional, and inspirational resources. While publishing resources for the UMC, many of their resources can cross mainline denominational boundaries.
Augsburg Fortress Press – This is the official press and publisher for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Augsburg publishes popular titles while Fortress Press primarily publishes academic and reference titles.
Baker Publishing Group – Baker Publishing is an independent and evangelical press with six subdivisions—Bethany House, Baker Books, Baker Academic, Brazos Press, Chosen, and Revell. While all subdivisions are sacred and faith- oriented, Brazos and Baker Academic are the two subdivisions that are more academic presses in the Evangelical tradition.
Brazos Press – Brazos is the academic subdivision of Baker Press that publishes resources in Theology. This is an ecumenical press that seeks to show the intersection of theology in our current social context.
Broadman Press/Broadman and Holman Publishing – Broadman Press was the sole publisher for the Southern Baptist Church for over a century. According to the B &H FAQs website, in 1993, Broadman acquired A. J. Holman Bible to form Broadman and Holman (B & H) Publishing. This press represents the theology of the SBC, with the possible exception of the Word Bible Commentary. Word Bible Commentary is close to mainline in theology and is slightly more academic-oriented than the SBC publications.
Cambridge University Press -- One of the oldest and largest publishers in the world. They are an academic press that publishes on a variety of academic subjects, including religious and theological subjects. Their publications are in the classic mainline tradition.
Chalice Press – The Chalice logo is similar to “The Disciples of Christ” logo but there is no obvious tie. Chalice Press is a multifaith organization that is geared toward social justice issues like peace, poverty, and inclusivity. The press explores the intersection of faith and justice from a theologically progressive standpoint.
Eerdmans Press – Eerdmans Press is an independent publisher. They publish on a broad range of religious, theological, and historical topics that range from academic books and reference resources to award-winning children books. They wish to be ecumenical and even dialog with other faiths.
Fortress Press – Fortress Press merged with Augsburg Press in the mid-eighties and is now the official press and publisher for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is the academic arm of Augsburg and publishes a wide range of religious literature.
Geneva Press -- Geneva press publicizes curriculum and books that are specific to the Presbyterian Polity and Beliefs PC(USA).
HarperCollins Publisher – Many may recognize the former name of this company as Harper and Row. It is one of the largest publishers in the world. Mostly, they publish on a wide range of subjects for the general population, but they also publish atlases and Bibles.
Intervarsity Press (IVP) – Intervarsity Press is an Evangelical press with publications that are geared toward the practical aspects of ministry and the church. IVP has added IVP Academic which is more academic. IVP is an extension of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship organization located on many university campuses.
Oxford Universtiy Press (OUP) – Oxford Press is a department of the University of the Oxford and is the largest university press in the world that publishes academic books, reference and educational resources of the highest caliber. They publish several dictionaries, encyclopedias, history, and literature books in religion as well as other subject areas.
Paulist Press – Paulist Press is a Catholic press founded by a society of Missionary Priests with a historical mission of teaching Catholics about their faith. Perhaps they are best known for their 90 volumes of “Classics of Western Spirituality.” Otherwise, they publish mostly for Catholics and where their faith meets culture.
Pilgrim Press – Pilgrim Press is an independent press but has United Church of Christ roots. It was founded as a form of religious resistance to the accepted religious norm. They publish resources on social justice, religious leadership and spiritual formation.
The United Methodist Publishing House -- This is the official organization of the UMC that distributes all publishing of that denomination. They distribute official documents and record. They publish books by Abingdon and operate Cokesbury, the retail store. They also operate MinistryMatters.com, an electronic resource for church leaders.
Westminster John Knox Press (WJK)—This publisher is associated with the Presbyterian church (USA) and is part of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. It is a merger of the Westminster Press and the John Knox Press. WJK publishes scholarly works for the academic community, congregations, education. In addition, WJK publishes nationally recognized works for the general reader.
Zondervan Press – Zondervan is a nondenominational publisher and founder of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. It is part of the HarperCollins Christian Publishing organization. Zondervan is mostly known as the publisher of several versions of the Bible, including the NIV. They also publish books for general Christian readers. There is an academic arm of Zondervan press that publishes books for the scholarly community.
