Praxis Research Institute

What Praxis Research Institute does

Praxis Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research and educational organization, chartered in Massachusetts in 1992 under United States law (Federal Tax ID 04-3110773), with its principal administrative office now in New Hampshire. Its stated mission is to study and transmit the inner, esoteric spiritual teachings of Christianity preserved in Eastern Orthodox monastic tradition, particularly on Mount Athos in Greece. The institute was founded by Robin Amis, who received the rare designation of 'Synergatis' (fellow worker equal to the monks) from the Monastery of Gregoriou in 1985, after conducting over 60 pilgrimages to Mount Athos over nearly half a century; Amis was charged by Elder Paisios (later canonized as Saint Paisios) to convey 'the truth of the heart' to the English-speaking world. Amis died on June 13, 2014, and the institute has continued operating without a publicly identified comparable successor.

The organization's product portfolio is a focused catalog of books, monographs, audiobooks, and PDF digital downloads covering Orthodox Christian spirituality, including the Boris Mouravieff Gnosis trilogy (English publication 1989-1993), Robin Amis's own A Different Christianity and Views from Mount Athos, translations of the Philokalia, works by St. Gregory Palamas and St. Theophan the Recluse, a Gnosis Index PDF released December 2022, and audiobook readings from the Philokalia. It also references an online study course, study meetings, and retreats via its website. Praxis uses a community-led go-to-market: distribution through its own online store (PayPal and credit/debit card), Amazon and other third-party retailers, and content marketing via praxisresearch.net.

Revenue mechanics are dual: (1) publication sales (paperback and PDF) through the Praxis store and Amazon/retailers, and (2) donations from supporters, supplemented by volunteer effort. The institute itself states it 'depends on donations and volunteer efforts' with 'modest income from publication sales'; no revenue figures are disclosed. The customer base is long-tail individual spiritual seekers across Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and non-religious backgrounds, with no enterprise or institutional customers identified. Key partnerships include Pleroma Publishing Ltd. (publishing affiliate), the Monastery of Gregoriou, and the Study Society at Colet House.

Name

Praxis Research Institute

Legal name

Praxis Research Institute, Inc.

Website

https://praxisresearch.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Praxis Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1992 that publishes and teaches the inner Christian spiritual tradition rooted in Eastern Orthodox monasticism. It serves individual spiritual seekers via books, audiobooks, PDFs, and online study offerings, funded by donations and modest publication sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAHAG

Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Religious & Spiritual Publishing

SECONDARYMPAJAHAD

Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Religious & Spiritual Publishing

SECONDARYMPAJAHAA

Sacred Texts & Scripture Publishing (Bibles, Qur’ans, Vedas, Torah, Sutras)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Religious & Spiritual Publishing

Keywords

• Christian spiritual publishing
• Eastern Orthodox texts
• Religious education materials
• Hesychasm spiritual teachings
• Contemplative Christian literature

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: Revenue is generated through the sale of books and publications including 'A Different Christianity', 'Views from Mount Athos', the Gnosis trilogy by Boris Mouravieff, and other Orthodox spiritual texts. Publications are sold through the Praxis website store using PayPal or credit/debit cards, and through retailers such as Amazon.
2. Donations: As a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit corporation, Praxis depends on donations and volunteer efforts from those committed to this work, supplemented by modest income from publication sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Praxis Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that publishes and disseminates books, audiobooks, monographs, and digital reference guides on the inner spiritual teachings of Christianity—particularly Eastern Orthodox hesychasm and the Fourth Way tradition—through its Praxis Institute Press imprint and affiliate Pleroma Publishing Ltd. The institute sells these publications (paperback and PDF) directly via its website store and through Amazon, and supplements them with an online study course and informational website content to make the Christian Inner Tradition accessible to modern seekers.

Product overview

Praxis Research Institute is a not-for-profit publishing and educational organization focused on making the Christian Inner Tradition accessible to modern audiences. Their portfolio consists primarily of books and audiobooks on Christian spirituality, including Robin Amis' own works (A Different Christianity, Views from Mount Athos), the Boris Mouravieff Gnosis trilogy, translations of Eastern Orthodox spiritual texts (Philokalia, works by St. Gregory Palamas, St. Theophan the Recluse), and audio recordings. The organization also offers digital downloads (PDF versions) of their publications. Their materials center on the practices of hesychasm, the Jesus Prayer, and the Fourth Way spiritual teachings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Praxis Institute Press: Publishing arm of Praxis Research Institute responsible for publishing Orthodox spiritual texts including Gnosis trilogy and Robin Amis's works

Products and services

• A Different Christianity Book by Robin Amis containing the distillation of more than fourteen years of research into traditional sources of the Royal Way, a Christian spiritual discipline little known to the Western world. Sold in paperback and PDF via the Praxis website store and Amazon, targeted at serious spiritual seekers.
• Views from Mount Athos Travel book by Robin Amis documenting his pilgrimages to Mount Athos in search of forgotten Christian knowledge among the monks, encompassing spiritual, philosophical, and psychological dimensions. Sold in paperback and PDF via the Praxis website store.
• Gnosis Trilogy (Volumes I, II, III) Three-volume book set (Volumes I, II, III) by Boris Mouravieff providing a contemporary study of ancient Christian spiritual tradition and the relation of the Fourth Way to the inner spiritual doctrines of the early church. Sold in paperback and PDF via the Praxis website store.
• The Heart of Salvation Book on the life and teachings of Saint Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894), the great Russian starets of his century, containing spiritual advice through correspondence. Sold in paperback via the Praxis website store.
• Holy Hesychia — The Stillness That Knows God Updated translation of Triads, Book One with commentary by Robin Amis, explaining the practice of hesychasm and the path of inner stillness. Sold via the Praxis website store and through Amazon.
• The Path of Prayer Book containing four sermons on personal prayer by Saint Theophan the Recluse. Sold in paperback via the Praxis website store.
• A Method of Prayer For Modern Times Book providing a modern interpretation of ancient prayer tradition by Bishop Jean of Saint Denis, founder of the French Orthodox Church. Sold in paperback via the Praxis website store.
• Turning Within Book by an American Orthodox Deacon on learning to pray in one's heart. Sold in paperback via the Praxis website store.
• Visual Contemplations Book of paintings by Lillian Devevoryas Amis depicting the journey of the soul from slavery to freedom, expressing concepts of the early wisdom tradition. Sold via the Praxis website store.
• Who Writes The Waves Poetry collection with classical lyricism touching on the deepest questions of the inner life. Sold via the Praxis website store.
• Monograph #2 — The Substantial and the Essential Article/monograph by Boris Mouravieff on the evolutionary crisis of 20th-century Western Civilization in terms of the ancient Christian Esoteric Tradition. Sold via the Praxis website store.
• The Cosmology of Man's Possible Evolution Book on cosmology and spiritual development, distributed outside North America due to copyright restrictions in the United States. Sold via the Praxis website store (non-North America).
• The Psychology & Cosmology of Man's Possible Evolution Book combining psychology and cosmology related to human potential. Sold via the Praxis website store.
• Gnosis Index PDF Digital reference guide (PDF) to Boris Mouravieff's 3-volume book Gnosis, containing an index of key topics and persons. Sold as a digital download via the Praxis website store.
• The Eros of Repentance — The Power of the Soul to Unite With Its Divine Archetype 3-CD audiobook with readings from the Philokalia chosen by G.E.H. Palmer, with new Introductions by Lillian Delevoryas and Seymour Simmons III. Sold via the Praxis website store and through Amazon.
• Readings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart Audiobook invitation to participate in the ancient spiritual tradition of the occidental world, featuring readings from the Philokalia. Sold via the Praxis website store and through Amazon.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Monastery of Gregoriou (Mount Athos)coreOthers · 18 May 1985The monastery granted founder Robin Amis the rare designation of 'Synergatis' (fellow worker, equal to the monks), with a document providing 'free access, both coming in and going out of the Holy Mountain.' This relationship was central to the organization's research mission.
• Pleroma Publishing Ltd.coreOthersAn affiliated publisher that publishes works alongside Praxis, including Boris Mouravieff's Gnosis series and other works on prayer and stillness by Church Fathers.
• The Study Society (Colet House)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobin Amis joined the Colet House group run by Francis Roles (Ouspensky's senior pupil) in 1950s London. Later, Praxis maintained close touch with Richard Guyatt at the Study Society. The relationship involved exchange of spiritual teaching materials and group coordination.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• St. Vladimir's Seminary Press (SVS Press): Leading English-language publisher of Orthodox Christian theology, patristics, and spirituality; directly comparable to Praxis in audience, content type (e.g., hesychasm, prayer of the heart), and distribution model.
• Ancient Faith Publishing: Orthodox Christian publisher and media ministry producing books, podcasts, and digital content; comparable in Orthodox focus but with significantly broader digital format adoption than Praxis.
• Pleroma Publishing Ltd. Praxis's affiliated publisher that issues complementary Orthodox works including the Mouravieff Gnosis series and writings by the Church Fathers; operates in the same niche with overlapping authors and distribution channels.

Regional players

• Conciliar Press: Orthodox Christian publisher historically serving the Antiochian Orthodox tradition in North America; comparable niche focus with potentially narrower denominational reach than Praxis's cross-denominational model.
• Light & Life Publishing: Orthodox Christian publisher with a Western Rite focus; comparable in publishing Orthodox material for English-speaking audiences but smaller catalog and more limited distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Inner Traditions (Bear & Company): Publisher of esoteric, metaphysical, and contemplative works including translations of Orthodox and mystical Christian texts; comparable to Praxis in esoteric Christian content and fourth-way-adjacent material.
• Sophia Institute Press: Established Catholic publisher with a sizable catalog of spirituality, theology, and philosophy; comparable in religious nonfiction publishing breadth but operates across Catholic rather than Orthodox traditions.
• Paraclete Press: Christian publisher focused on contemplative spirituality, prayer, and liturgical works; comparable to Praxis in its emphasis on prayer and contemplative practice across multiple denominations.
• Ave Maria Press: Catholic publisher producing theology, spirituality, and ministry resources; comparable in religious nonfiction publishing operations and pastoral/sermon resource scope.

Emerging players

• Shambhala Publications: Independent publisher focused on contemplative practice, meditation, and Eastern/Western spiritual traditions; comparable to Praxis in publishing contemplative and Fourth Way-adjacent content for secular and spiritual audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/praxis-research-corp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Praxis Research Institute