Kirby Laing Centre

What Kirby Laing Centre does

The Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity Number 1191741) that operates as a small-scale, interdisciplinary research and publishing centre focused on Christian public theology. With a staff of roughly four to six people led by Director Dr Craig Bartholomew, KLC conducts research projects, supervises PhD candidates (including via a partnership with Highland Theological College, University of the Highlands and Islands), and convenes an international fellowship of scholars and practitioners organized around hubs for public theology, missional engagement, and the arts. The organization is an Associate Member of the Cambridge Theological Federation.

KLC's product surface centers on content and community: The Big Picture magazine (14 issues as of 2025), the in-house KLC Publishing imprint, ArtWay.eu (an arts publication whose custodianship transferred to KLC in 2023-24), the Christianity for the Everyday podcast, a Substack publication, and a programme of lectures, webinars, conferences, and prayer gatherings. Distribution runs through the WordPress/WooCommerce website store (UK), Amazon (global), Substack, and major podcast platforms, while grant funding comes from bodies such as the Abraham Kuyper Christian Leadership Fund and Trinity International University's Templeton-funded Creation project.

KLC's business model is non-commercial and donation-dependent. Revenue derives from one-time print and digital publication sales, modest paid Substack subscriptions, charitable grants, and fundraising appeals including the KLC 100 membership programme. The underlying technology is conventional web publishing infrastructure with no proprietary AI, data assets, or automation layers; operations have recently been restructured around a home-office model following closure of the Cambridge office in February 2025.

Name

Kirby Laing Centre

Legal name

The Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge

Website

https://kirbylaingcentre.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Kirby Laing Centre is a Cambridge-registered UK charity that conducts interdisciplinary public theology research, supervises PhD candidates, and publishes The Big Picture magazine and related content for an international fellowship of Christian scholars and practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious research and theological education

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120), Religious Organizations (8131), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Public theology research
• Christian academic publishing
• Theological education
• Religious research
• Evangelical scholarship

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: KLC sells printed copies of The Big Picture magazine through its own UK store and via Amazon (UK and international). Digital subscriptions are available on Substack with a free tier and paid bonus content.
2. Donations and Fundraising: KLC raises funds through donations, membership (KLC 100), and general fundraising appeals, both online and by post, in pursuit of its charitable purposes.
3. Charitable Grants: KLC receives grant funding from organizations such as the Abraham Kuyper Christian Leadership Fund and Trinity International University's Templeton grant (Creation project) for specific research projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Kirby Laing Centre is a charity-run research centre that conducts interdisciplinary public theology research and disseminates it through publications, events, and an international fellowship community. It produces and sells The Big Picture magazine (print and digital), runs KLC Publishing for in-house books, hosts the ArtWay.eu arts publication and Christianity for the Everyday podcast, and supervises doctoral research in partnership with Highland Theological College. Core services include fellowship community access, PhD supervision, project management for theological research, and a calendar of lectures, conferences, and prayer gatherings.

Product overview

The Kirby Laing Centre offers a portfolio of publishing and scholarly products centered around public theology. Core offerings include The Big Picture magazine (currently at issue 14), KLC Publishing for in-house book publication, ArtWay.eu (an online arts publication with thousands of reflections), the Christianity for the Everyday podcast, and a PhD programme in partnership with Highland Theological College. Content is distributed via Substack, Amazon, and the KLC website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Big Picture: KLC's flagship publication magazine covering public theology and Christian perspectives on contemporary issues.
• ArtWay.eu
• Christianity for the Everyday
• KLC Publishing

Products and services

• The Big Picture magazine
• KLC PhD Programme
• KLC Substack
• Christianity for the Everyday Podcast
• KLC Publishing
• ArtWay.eu
• KLC Fellowship Programme
• KLC 100 Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• KLC has produced 14 issues of The Big Picture magazine, launched a podcast with multiple seasons, and published books through commercial and in-house channels.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Highland Theological College (University of the Highlands and Islands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKLC partners with Highland Theological College (a member college of the University of the Highlands and Islands) to offer doctoral research degrees. Based in Dingwall, Scotland, HTC shares KLC's evangelical tradition and provides PhD supervision alongside KLC's existing programme. This allows KLC to expand its PhD offering and support more students in completing doctoral research without leaving their vocational contexts.
• Cambridge Theological FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKLC is an Associate Member of the Cambridge Theological Federation, connecting it with a network of theological institutions in Cambridge for collaboration and resource sharing.
• Highland Theological College (HTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTC's Principal Dr Jamie Grant and KLC Director Dr Craig Bartholomew have known each other since their time at the University of Gloncestershire. The partnership is described as an exciting opportunity for Kingdom service together in theological education.
• Theological University of UtrechtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Theological University of Utrecht is listed as a partner organisation for the 'Kuyper as Theologian' project, collaborating with George Harinck as a collaborator from Utrecht.
• Cru: FamilyLife and Cru's Power2Change in CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese organisations are listed as partner organisations for the 'Meaningful Gospel Engagement in North America Today' project, contributing to a forthcoming conference in Toronto and collected essays on missional approaches.
• Trinity International UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrinity International University's Creation project, funded by a Templeton grant, supports Craig Bartholomew's Old Testament research including the Moses book project. SRF at Trinity International University is acknowledged for its support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Comment Magazine: Public theology magazine and online publication engaging Christian thought with contemporary culture. Directly comparable to KLC's The Big Picture in format, audience, and editorial intent (Reformed/evangelical public theology).
• The Gospel Coalition: International fellowship of evangelical churches and Christians producing theology, books, articles, podcasts, and conferences. Comparable to KLC's fellowship model and multi-format publishing, though much larger in scale and primarily US-anchored.
• Regent College: Vancouver-based graduate school of Christian studies offering theological education and hosting a publishing programme. Comparable to KLC in evangelical theological orientation, publication output, and emphasis on theology engaging culture.
• BioLogos: Christian scientific organisation promoting dialogue between faith and science through articles, podcasts, events, and a grants programme. Comparable to KLC in its interdisciplinary faith-and-public-life focus, fellowship-style community, and content-led outreach.
• Centre for Theology and Public Issues (CTPI): University of Edinburgh-based research centre producing theological analysis on public issues. Comparable to KLC in its mission of public theology, research output, and engagement with policy and cultural questions from a Christian perspective.
• Faraday Institute for Science and Religion: Cambridge-based interdisciplinary research centre exploring the relationship between science and religion. Shares KLC's Cambridge footprint, academic partnership model, and public-facing lecture/publishing programme, though focused on science-engagement rather than public theology broadly.
• Theos: UK-based public theology think tank producing reports, podcasts, and events on faith, society, and public life. Closely comparable to KLC in mission, audience, and output formats, though more policy-oriented and London-based.

Others

• Templeton Foundation: Major philanthropic funder of research at the intersection of science, religion, and human purpose. Not a direct competitor, but a key grant counterparty for KLC (e.g. the Templeton-funded Creation project via Trinity International University).

Broad incumbents

• InterVarsity Press (IVP): Major evangelical academic and trade publisher of theology, biblical studies, and Christian living titles. Comparable to KLC Publishing in subject matter, but IVP is a far larger established publisher with broad catalog and global distribution.
• Christianity Today: Large-scale evangelical magazine and digital media publisher covering theology, culture, and church life. Overlaps with KLC's magazine and digital publishing, but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth, and is US-headquartered.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/centrekirby
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheKirbyLaingCentre
• Facebookfacebook.com/61567909275201
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kirby-laing-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Kirby Laing Centre