The Religious Studies Project
The Religious Studies Project is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation that publishes open-access podcasts and written scholarly responses on contemporary issues in academic religious studies, serving scholars, students, and educators worldwide since 2012.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersScotland, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Religious Studies Project does
The Religious Studies Project (RSP) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO, charity number SC047750) that produces open-access podcasts and written scholarly resources on contemporary issues in the academic study of religion. Founded in 2012 and operating with a small team of 1–10 people, the organisation serves academic scholars, students, and educators in religious studies worldwide through its digital content platform hosted at religiousstudiesproject.com. Its editorial operations are led by co-founders David G. Robertson and Chris Cotter, with Andie Alexander serving as co-editor.
RSP's core product surface consists of a weekly podcast series (300+ episodes, with cumulative archive references of 400+ podcasts), companion written response essays, curated topical playlists, a Learning Hub of educational resources, full-text transcripts, and an Opportunities digest listing academic calls, jobs, and events. The platform is built on a standard WordPress-based website, with content distributed via podcast directories (iTunes, Spotify), RSS feeds, YouTube, and social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). Content is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 and academically sponsored by AASR, BASR, IAHR, and NAASR.
The organisation operates a donation-based revenue model with no paid products, services, or pricing tiers. Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary PayPal donations, recurring Patreon monthly patronage, and Amazon affiliate referral commissions. Its go-to-market motion is community-led, leveraging scholarly networks, academic conferences, and partner associations to reach its global target audience without paid acquisition. RSP is registered in Scotland, United Kingdom, and operates without geographic restrictions on its content distribution.
The Religious Studies Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Religious Studies Project
- Legal name
- Religious Studies Project Association (SCIO)
- Website
- https://religiousstudiesproject.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Religious Studies Project is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation that publishes open-access podcasts and written scholarly responses on contemporary issues in academic religious studies, serving scholars, students, and educators worldwide since 2012.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Religious Studies Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic and Educational Digital Content
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious Organizations (8131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG)
Keywords
Where The Religious Studies Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scotland
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Religious Studies Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Patron Support: The Religious Studies Project relies on voluntary donations from its audience. Supporters can become monthly Patrons through Patreon or make one-time donations via PayPal. The organization also earns revenue through Amazon affiliate links when supporters make purchases through their links.
- Patreon/Monthly Subscriptions: Monthly patron support program allowing supporters to contribute recurring donations to sustain open-access operations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Religious Studies Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Religious Studies Project produces and publishes open-access podcasts, response essays, curated playlists, and learning resources on the academic study of religion, targeting scholars, postgraduate students, and educators worldwide. All content is provided free of charge and supported by donations, Patreon memberships, and Amazon affiliate revenue.
Product overview
The Religious Studies Project is a single-platform content publishing organization operating as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organization (SCIO). The core offering consists of a weekly podcast series with accompanying written scholarly response essays, supplemented by curated playlists, educational resources, and an opportunities digest. The organization produces 300+ podcast episodes with transcripts, featuring hundreds of scholars sharing research and expertise in religious studies. Content is distributed via the website, RSS feeds, and third-party podcast platforms, with revenue generated through donations and patron support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Religious Studies Project Podcast Long-running open-access podcast featuring interviews and discussions with scholars on topics in religious studies, targeted at academics, postgraduate students, and educators.
- Response Essays Short written scholarly essays published alongside podcast episodes to provide analytical commentary on the discussed topics, intended for religious studies researchers and students.
- Playlists Curated thematic collections of podcast episodes organized by topic, designed to help educators and students navigate content for teaching and learning in religious studies.
- Learning Hub Dedicated section of the website providing supplementary educational resources for religious studies, including teaching aids and learning materials for students and instructors.
Quantifiable outcome
- 400+ podcasts in archive featuring hundreds of scholars
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Religious Studies Project
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Religious Studies Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Religious Studies Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AASR (Australian Association for the Study of Religion)coreAcademic sponsor of the Religious Studies Project, supporting open-access scholarly content in religious studies.
- BASR (British Association for the Study of Religion)coreAcademic sponsor providing institutional support and recognition for the RSP's mission to produce accessible religious studies resources.
- IAHR (International Association for the History of Religions)coreInternational academic sponsor supporting scholarly discourse in religious studies through the RSP platform.
- NAASR (North American Association for the Study of Religion)coreAcademic sponsor of the Religious Studies Project, contributing to the advancement of religious studies scholarship.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Religious Studies Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Revealer: NYU's long-running online magazine covering the academic study of religion. Direct peer of RSP in mission — making scholarly analysis of religion accessible to broader audiences — though it operates as an essay-based publication rather than a podcast-led platform.
- Religion Dispatches: Online magazine publishing daily critical analysis of religion, politics, and culture from scholarly and journalistic perspectives. Comparable to RSP as a digital-first, academic-adjacent publication covering contemporary religious studies, though with more journalistic rather than purely scholarly framing.
- Marginalia Review of Books: Open-access, scholar-driven review publication associated with the American Academy of Religion. Directly comparable to RSP as an academic open-access platform where scholars publish critical responses to contemporary work, with overlapping religious studies contributors.
- Public Books: Open-access online magazine publishing accessible scholarly writing across the humanities and social sciences. Comparable to RSP in operating model (free, scholarly, online-first) and tone, though covering all humanities rather than religion specifically.
- Bulletin for the Study of Religion (AAR): Open-access journal of the American Academy of Religion publishing scholarly articles and essays on religious studies. Directly comparable in audience and content category, though delivered as a traditional journal rather than podcasts and response essays.
- The Immanent Frame: SSRC's online forum for scholarly discussion of religion, secularism, and public life. Highly comparable to RSP as an academic, open-access publishing venue focused on the contemporary study of religion, though delivered via long-form essays rather than podcasts.
Broad incumbents
- JSTOR Daily: Open-access public-facing arm of JSTOR that translates scholarly journal content into accessible articles. Comparable to RSP as a bridge between academic scholarship and broader audiences, but broader in scope (all disciplines) and far better resourced.
- BBC In Our Time: Long-running BBC Radio 4 program featuring Melvyn Bragg interviewing academics across disciplines including theology and religious studies. Comparable to RSP as a long-form academic interview podcast aimed at educated general audiences, though much broader in topical scope and backed by the BBC.
Regional players
- History Extra: BBC History Magazine's podcast featuring interviews with historians. Comparable to RSP as an academic-interview podcast bridging scholarly research and accessible listening, though focused on history rather than religion and operated commercially rather than as a charity.
Emerging players
- The Partially Examined Life: Philosopher-led podcast featuring informal scholarly discussion of philosophy texts. Comparable to RSP as a scholar-driven, academic-flavored podcast with long-form discussion format, though focused on philosophy rather than religious studies.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Religious Studies Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Religious Studies Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Religious Studies Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Religious Studies Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Religious Studies Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Religious Studies Project 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 The Religious Studies Project
What does The Religious Studies Project do?
The Religious Studies Project produces and publishes open-access podcasts, response essays, curated playlists, and learning resources on the academic study of religion, targeting scholars, postgraduate students, and educators worldwide. All content is provided free of charge and supported by donations, Patreon memberships, and Amazon affiliate revenue.
Is The Religious Studies Project a public or private company?
The Religious Studies Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Religious Studies Project founded?
The Religious Studies Project was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Religious Studies Project based?
The Religious Studies Project is headquartered in Scotland, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Religious Studies Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Patron Support is the primary driver. The others are patreon/Monthly Subscriptions.
Who are The Religious Studies Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Revealer, Religion Dispatches, Marginalia Review of Books, Public Books, Bulletin for the Study of Religion (AAR) and The Immanent Frame. Broad incumbents are JSTOR Daily and BBC In Our Time. History Extra is listed as a regional player. The Partially Examined Life is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Religious Studies Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Religious Studies Project.
What industry is The Religious Studies Project in?
The Religious Studies Project's product category is Academic and Educational Digital Content. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAFAJ, Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs, with a secondary code of MPAJAHAG, Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics). Its NAICS code is 8134 and its SIC code is 8200.