Religious Education Association
REA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1903 that serves roughly 350 scholars, religious educators, and researchers across 20+ countries through a peer-reviewed journal, monograph series, newsletter, and annual convening.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1903
- HeadquartersNew Haven, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Religious Education Association does
The Religious Education Association (REA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1903 to promote scholarship and practice in religious education across academic, professional, and faith-community contexts. Historically connected to figures such as William James, John Dewey, and William C. Bower, REA merges interdisciplinary scholarship with practitioner concerns in religious education. In 2003 it merged with the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education (APRRE), consolidating the U.S. academic religious-education field under a single organization. Today REA serves approximately 350 active members — professors, religious educators, and researchers — across more than 20 countries spanning Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and secular humanism. REA offers a portfolio of services: the peer-reviewed journal Religious Education (published via Taylor & Francis), a member newsletter (eREACH), the Horizons monograph series (published with Wipf and Stock), and an annual meeting currently hosted online via Zoom. The organization is led by an all-volunteer governance structure (board plus advisory council) and operates with a small staff of approximately 5. Awards include the Harper Award (scholarship) and the Wornom Innovation Grant (practice). REA derives revenue from a sliding-scale membership dues structure ($40–$140 per year), supplemented by grants, donations, and co-publication arrangements. International activity includes the planned International Convention on Christian Education (ICCE) 2027 in Bamberg, Germany.
Religious Education Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Religious Education Association
- Legal name
- Religious Education Association
- Website
- https://religiouseducation.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1903
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- REA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1903 that serves roughly 350 scholars, religious educators, and researchers across 20+ countries through a peer-reviewed journal, monograph series, newsletter, and annual convening.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Religious Education Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association / Religious Education Scholarship
- NAICS
- Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL)
Keywords
Where Religious Education Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Haven
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Religious Education Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees charged on a sliding scale based on income level. Membership provides access to the journal Religious Education (including archives), the eREACH newsletter, conference proceedings, special pricing at meetings, and eligibility for awards and grants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Plan A for income over $65,000 |
| Subscription | Annual | Plan B for income $45,000-$65,000 |
| Subscription | Annual | Plan C for income $30,000-$45,000 and ALLLM members |
| Subscription | Annual | Plan D for income under $30,000 and students/retired ALLLM members |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Religious Education Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Religious Education Association is a membership-based nonprofit professional association that delivers scholarly publications and convening services to academics, practitioners, and researchers in religious education. Its primary offerings include the peer-reviewed journal "Religious Education" (with full member-accessible archives), the quarterly eREACH newsletter, the "Horizons in Religious Education" monograph series, and the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, all bundled within individual annual membership.
Product overview
The Religious Education Association (REA:APPRRE) is an Association of Professors, Practitioners, and Researchers in Religious Education that operates primarily as a membership-based scholarly organization rather than a software product company. Its core offerings consist of the peer-reviewed journal Religious Education (accessible to members with archives), the quarterly eREACH newsletter, the Horizons monograph series (published with Wipf and Stock), and the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting. REA also administers the William Rainey Harper Award and Wornal Innovation Grant, and provides Graduate Student Travel Awards. Membership is required to access the journal and all publications, with tiered pricing based on income. The organization does not offer a software platform, API, or digital tools as standalone products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Religious Education (Journal) The official peer-reviewed journal of REA, published five times yearly, offering a forum for exploring religious identity, formation, and education in faith communities, academic institutions, and public life. Includes full back-issue archives accessible to members.
- eREACH Newsletter
- Horizons in Religious Education (Monograph Series)
- Proceedings of the Annual Meeting
- REA:APPRRE Individual Membership Annual individual membership in the Religious Education Association, providing access to the journal Religious Education (with full archives), the eREACH newsletter, conference proceedings, special pricing at meetings, eligibility for awards and grants, and the right to participate in work groups, standing committees, and communities of practice. Four income-based tiers ($40-$140) provide equitable access.
Companies that use Religious Education Association
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Religious Education Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Religious Education Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wipf and Stock PublisherscoreThe Horizons in Religious Education monograph series is published in cooperation with Wipf and Stock Publishers. This partnership enables publication of scholarly monographs defining key directions in the field of religious education.
- American Academy of Religion (AAR)coreREA is officially a 'related scholarly organization' to AAR, and holds at least one session each year at the AAR meeting. Many REA members are active in AAR. The organizations co-host sessions and collaborate on annual meeting programming.
- Religion and Education Collaborative (REC)minorThe REA Religion and Education Work Group meets jointly with the Religion and Education Collaborative (REC) at the Religion Freedom Center. REA members participate in ongoing conversations across disciplines and produce resources pertaining to study of religion and education.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Religious Education Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Society for Christian Ethics: A scholarly society for ethicists working in Christian traditions, drawing professors, researchers, and practitioners with similar membership-fee and annual-meeting dynamics. Overlaps with REA's Christian-theological educator audience.
- Society of Biblical Literature: A scholarly association promoting academic study of the Bible across religious traditions, with similar membership model of professors, researchers, and graduate students. It is the closest AAR-adjacent peer for an interfaith, academic religious education audience.
- American Academy of Religion: The largest US scholarly association for religious studies, with many overlapping members in religious education. REA holds official 'related scholarly organization' status with AAR and co-hosts annual sessions, making it the most directly comparable peer in mission and audience.
- Association of Theological Schools: An accrediting and membership body for theological schools in the US and Canada, serving faculty and administrators at institutions where many REA members teach. Comparable as a peer because its institutional member base directly overlaps REA's individual member base.
- Society for the Scientific Study of Religion: An interdisciplinary scholarly association for the social scientific study of religion, with similar academic membership and journal-based value proposition. Comparable as a peer because it serves religious studies scholars who often engage religious education as a research domain.
- Catholic Theological Society of America: A scholarly association of Catholic theologians and religious educators, similar in mission to serve a specific faith-tradition academic community through annual meetings and publications. Comparable to REA at denominational scale, in contrast to REA's interfaith scope.
Emerging players
- Association for Clinical Pastoral Education: An organization supporting chaplaincy and pastoral education training, with a more practice-oriented focus than REA. Comparable because both serve religious education practitioners and host accredited training experiences, though ACPE's scope is clinical rather than scholarly.
- Society of Jewish Ethics: A smaller scholarly association focused on Jewish ethics, drawing faculty and researchers from Jewish seminaries and university programs. Comparable as a niche, faith-specific scholarly society that intersects with REA's Jewish-tradition membership.
Others
- National Council of Churches: A Christian ecumenical organization from whose earlier section APRRE (REA's predecessor) was formed in 1970. Comparable as a historical peer in the Christian religious education ecosystem, though today NCC is more advocacy-oriented while REA remains scholarly.
- Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion: An externally funded center that supports pedagogy and teaching in theology and religion, serving many of the same faculty that REA members come from. Comparable as a peer because it operates in the religious-education ecosystem REA addresses, though as a grant-funded center rather than a membership society.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Religious Education Association social profiles
Digital presenceReligious Education Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Religious Education Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Religious Education Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Religious Education Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Religious Education Association
What does Religious Education Association do?
The Religious Education Association is a membership-based nonprofit professional association that delivers scholarly publications and convening services to academics, practitioners, and researchers in religious education. Its primary offerings include the peer-reviewed journal "Religious Education" (with full member-accessible archives), the quarterly eREACH newsletter, the "Horizons in Religious Education" monograph series, and the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, all bundled within individual annual membership.
Is Religious Education Association a public or private company?
Religious Education Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Religious Education Association founded?
Religious Education Association was founded in 1903. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Religious Education Association based?
Religious Education Association is headquartered in New Haven, United States, in the North America region.
How does Religious Education Association make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are Religious Education Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Society for Christian Ethics, Society of Biblical Literature, American Academy of Religion, Association of Theological Schools, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and Catholic Theological Society of America. Emerging players are Association for Clinical Pastoral Education and Society of Jewish Ethics. Others are National Council of Churches and Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion.
Does Religious Education Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Religious Education Association.
What industry is Religious Education Association in?
Religious Education Association's product category is Professional Association / Religious Education Scholarship. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAHAL, Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons). Its NAICS code is 8139 and its SIC code is 8600.