St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

What St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology does

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology is a 501(c)-eligible Catholic non-profit ministry founded circa 2000 by Scott Hahn and headquartered at 1380 University Blvd., Steubenville, Ohio. The organization produces and distributes Catholic biblical-formation content aimed at three primary audiences: Catholic clergy (priests, deacons, seminarians), the general laity, and academic theologians. Its product surface is organized around multiple sub-brands — Emmaus Road Publishing (popular books and devotionals), Emmaus Academic (scholarly titles including a Latin-English Summa Theologiae), Nova et Vetera and Letter & Spirit (quarterly academic journals), Journey Through Scripture (study program), The Word of the Lord (weekly Sunday-Mass reflection series), and the flagship Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.

The core technical platform is a digital library at my.stpaulcenter.com hosting 100+ hours of video courses, Bible studies, and audio content, accessed behind a subscription paywall with a 30-day free trial for monthly and student tiers. The organization integrates with Logos Research Systems' Verbum product to extend its digital reach, and maintains a single sign-on account layer across all sub-brands. Distribution combines direct e-commerce (stpaulcenter.com/store), a dedicated wholesale portal for parishes/resellers/libraries without minimum order, US-wide in-person parish events and resort-venue clergy conferences, and international fulfillment via Mare Nostrum Group Publishing LTD.

Revenue mechanics span five streams: recurring All-Access Membership subscriptions ($199/year annual with a free hardcover study Bible, $25/month, $9/month student tier); one-time book sales through both imprints; event ticket revenue (priest conferences priced $475-$725, deacons $650, parish events $35, seminarian conference donor-sponsored, Aquinas Conference $70); Nova et Vetera journal subscriptions ($45 US / $65 international); and donations — including stocks and securities gifts — which the organization explicitly states it relies upon to fund its biblical-formation mission. The organization reports 12,000+ All-Access Members, 600+ priests attending its three annual priest conferences, and 10,000+ "Emmaus experiences" at parish events annually.

Name

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Legal name

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

Website

https://stpaulcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology is a Catholic non-profit ministry founded in 2000 that delivers biblical formation to clergy, laity, and scholars through subscription digital courses, conferences, publishing imprints, and the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Education and Publishing

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI), Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD)

Keywords

• Catholic biblical education
• Scripture study programs
• Theological publishing
• Clergy formation events
• Religious digital library

Headquarters

HQ city

Steubenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: All-Access Membership with three tiers: Annual ($199/year), Monthly ($25/month after 30-day free trial), and Student ($9/month after 30-day free trial). Annual membership includes free hardcover Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.
2. Book and Publication Sales: Sale of books through Emmaus Road Publishing and Emmaus Academic (academic theology titles). Products sold via own e-commerce storefront and wholesale channels.
3. Event Tickets and Registrations: Revenue from parish events, priest conferences, deacon conferences, and seminarian conferences. Conference pricing ranges from free (sponsored seminarian conference) to $725 (single room priest conference).
4. Nova et Vetera Journal Subscriptions: Quarterly theological journal published in English. Individual subscriptions: $45/year US, $65/year international. Institutional subscriptions handled by Johns Hopkins University Press / Catholic University of America Press.
5. Donations: Organization relies on donations to support mission of biblical formation and evangelization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology is a Catholic non-profit research and educational institute that produces biblical formation content and distributes it through a digital library (my.stpaulcenter.com) with over 100 hours of courses and Bible studies, alongside Emmaus Road Publishing and Emmaus Academic publishing imprints, in-person parish and clergy conferences, pilgrimages, and the Nova et Vetera theological journal. Its content is authored primarily by founder Scott Hahn and affiliated Franciscan University scholars, reading Scripture 'from the heart of the Church' using the four senses of Scripture.

Product overview

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology operates a multi-platform portfolio centered on Catholic biblical education. The core offering is the Digital Library (my.stpaulcenter.com), an online platform providing over 100 hours of courses, Bible studies, and reflections accessible via subscription membership. This platform feeds into Emmaus Road Publishing (popular books and devotionals like Breaking the Bread, Jesus and the Jubilee, and Understanding 'Our Father') and Emmaus Academic (scholarly works including Nova et Vetera Journal, the Summa Theologiae Latin-English Opera Omnia, and academic theology titles). The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is offered as a flagship physical product with free distribution to annual members. The portfolio also includes in-person events—Priest Conferences, Parish Events, Pilgrimages, Seminarians Conference, and Deacons Conference—serving clergy, laity, and scholars as distinct audience segments. All entities share a unified user account system, and the organization maintains Verbum Libraries integration with Logos Research Systems for expanded biblical study tool compatibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Emmaus Road Publishing: Publishing arm producing Catholic books and study materials
• Emmaus Academic
• Nova et Vetera
• Journey Through Scripture
• Emmaus Academy
• The Word of the Lord
• Ignatius Catholic Study Bible

Products and services

• All-Access Membership Subscription tier providing digital library access to 100+ hours of Catholic biblical courses, Bible studies, and reflections, plus discounts on books and study guides. Available to individual members in annual, monthly, and student tiers.
• Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (Old and New Testament) Comprehensive Catholic study Bible with scholarly annotations and commentary on both Old and New Testaments, sold as a hardcover desk edition to individuals and parishes.
• Nova et Vetera Journal Quarterly academic theological journal providing an international forum for theological and philosophical studies from a Thomistic perspective, published in English and French editions. Individual and institutional subscriptions available.
• Letter & Spirit Journal Academic journal published through the St. Paul Center focusing on biblical theology.
• Summa Theologiae: Complete Set (Latin-English Opera Omnia) Eight-volume bilingual Latin-English edition of Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae, 5,256 pages, hardcover imitation leather binding. Published by Emmaus Academic in cooperation with The Aquinas Institute.
• Emmaus Academic Books Individual academic theology books published under the Emmaus Academic imprint, available in paperback and hardcover formats, with wholesale pricing available for parishes, resellers, and distributors.
• Emmaus Road Publishing Books Popular Catholic books, devotionals, and Scripture study materials by authors such as Scott Hahn and John Bergsma, sold direct-to-consumer and through wholesale channels.
• Priest Conferences Annual in-person conferences providing biblical formation for Catholic priests, held at resort and headquarter locations with keynote speakers Scott Hahn, John Bergsma, and Shane Owens.
• Parish Events In-person parish events featuring Scott Hahn, John Bergsma, and Kimberly Hahn speaking on Scripture, with presentations, Mass, and book sales. Tickets sold per event.
• Seminarian Conference Annual conference for Catholic seminarians in the Theology stage of formation, held at St. Paul Center headquarters in Steubenville, OH. Sponsored free registration.
• Deacons Conference Annual conference for Catholic permanent deacons, held at St. Paul Center headquarters in Steubenville, OH, featuring presentations from Scott Hahn, John Bergsma, and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers.
• Aquinas Conference Scholarly conference on Augustinian-Thomistic theology hosted by Ave Maria University, featuring speakers such as Dr. Shane Owens.
• Pilgrimages Pilgrimage events combining travel with spiritual formation and Scripture study.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000+ All-Access Members studying God's Word
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ave Maria UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAve Maria University hosts the annual Aquinas Conference, a scholarly event on Augustinian-Thomistic theology organized by the St. Paul Center. The 2027 conference (January 28-30) will be held at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL, featuring Dr. Shane Owens as speaker and promoting Emmaus Academic resources.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Catholic Answers: Catholic apologetics and formation organization offering books, media, live events, and online learning aimed at laity and converts. Direct peer to St. Paul Center's laity formation mission and book/media distribution model.
• Word on Fire: Bishop Robert Barron's Catholic evangelization media ministry producing video content, books, and parish programming. Directly comparable as a Catholic media-and-publishing platform serving laity and clergy with both digital and physical products.
• Augustine Institute: Catholic evangelization organization producing Bible studies (the Bible Timeline), streaming content, and academic publishing through Augustine Institute Press. Comparable as a multi-channel Catholic formation platform with parish-program distribution.
• Ignatius Press: Large Catholic publisher of books and the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible series — the same study Bible product distributed through the St. Paul Center's annual membership. Highly comparable as a Catholic book publisher serving parishes, schools, and individuals.
• Sophia Institute Press: Catholic publishing house producing books, pamphlets, and study curricula for parishes and homeschools. Comparable to Emmaus Road Publishing/Emmaus Academic as a Catholic trade and curriculum publisher.
• Magnificat: Subscription-based Catholic daily prayer and formation publication used in parishes and homes. Comparable as a recurring-subscription Catholic formation product distributed through parishes and individuals.
• Ascension: Catholic media company producing Bible studies (e.g., Great Adventure Bible Timeline with Jeff Cavins, who endorses St. Paul Center), podcasts, and a streaming app. Directly comparable as a Catholic formation platform leveraging parish distribution.

Broad incumbents

• EWTN: The largest Catholic media network globally, offering TV, radio, publishing, and news. Comparable as a Catholic content distributor and publisher but operates at substantially greater scale and broader scope than the St. Paul Center.

Others

• Franciscan University of Steubenville: Catholic university where Scott Hahn, John Bergsma, Shane Owens, and Jeffrey Morrow hold faculty positions. Strong ecosystem overlap and shared intellectual brand, but not a commercial peer — included as the Center's primary institutional affiliate.
• Ave Maria University: Catholic university that hosts the Center's annual Aquinas Conference. Comparable as a Catholic institution aligned with Thomistic theology and a co-host partner for the Center's scholarly events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saintpaulcenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/SaintPaulCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-paul-center-for-biblical-theology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology