Zondervan
Encyclopedia
Zondervan is an international Christian
media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
(ECPA).
works. The first book it published was Women of the Old Testament by Abraham Kuyper
, in 1933. Within a few years it developed a list of its own, and began publishing Bible editions. The Berkeley Version
appeared in 1959, and the Amplified Bible
in 1965. The NIV
New Testament was published in partnership with the International Bible Society
in 1973, and the complete NIV Bible appeared in 1978. The company was bought by HarperCollins
, a division of News Corporation
, in 1988, and is the company's Christian book publishing division. Scott Macdonald was appointed President and CEO in May 2011.
Zondervan also publishes many other books by Christian authors
focusing on topics of interest to Christians In the 1970s it published The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey
, which has sold more than 30 million copies. They are also known for the Bible storytelling books of Ethel Barrett
, Joni by quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada
, Baptist minister and author Rick Warren
's The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold more than 35 million copies, and Rob Bell
, author of Velvet Elvis and presenter of NOOMA
. NOOMA is a series of short spiritual films. In 2004, Zondervan expanded to include Renee Altson, Shane Claiborne
, Sarah Raymond Cunningham and Margaret Feinberg
, authors writing for young readers
.
business for many years with the Singspiration and Zondervan Victory labels in the 1960s, Singcord in the 70s, and the Milk & Honey Records label in the 1980s.
In 1980, Zondervan and Paragon Associates bought Christian record label Benson Records
in a partnership to own and operate for $3 Million. The resulting company was (measured by sales) one and a half times the size of its closest competitor, Word
. Zondervan bought out Paragon in 1983, and eventually sold Benson to Zomba Label Group in 1993, now a part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment
.
, and Zondervan announced a new partnership, and the retirement of Pradis. Thirty-one titles were slated for availability in "early 2010" in the LOGOS Bible Software
format.
One key Pradis feature was customizable panes to efficiently divide the workspace into major areas, with a system of tabs within the panes to access many open books simultaneously without losing open books behind other windows, as is common with other systems. Pradis offered the ability to link works together by biblical references, but without providing topical linking between works. Advanced tools for original languages were available, as were additional commentaries and dictionaries, though the list of available offerings dwindled significantly before the termination of the line was announced.
Zondervan offered Pradis for license to other publishers, but response flagged. Now customers and publisher alike stand to benefit from greater compatibility.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
The is an international non-profit trade association whose member companies are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide...
(ECPA).
History
Zondervan was founded in 1931 in Grandville, MI, a suburb of Grand Rapids, by brothers Peter (P.J., Pat) and Bernard (Bernie) Zondervan, who were the nephews of publisher William B. Eerdmans. The company began in the Zondervans' farmhouse and originally dealt with selling remainders and publishing public domainPublic domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
works. The first book it published was Women of the Old Testament by Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuijper generally known as Abraham Kuyper, was a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman and theologian...
, in 1933. Within a few years it developed a list of its own, and began publishing Bible editions. The Berkeley Version
Berkeley Version
In 1945, years before the NIV, Zondervan published a new translation of a New Testament called The Berkeley Version. It would later expanded to the entire Bible, and eventually receive a name change: The Modern Language Bible: The New Berkeley Version in Modern English.According to...
appeared in 1959, and the Amplified Bible
Amplified Bible
The Amplified Bible is an English translation of the Bible produced jointly by The Zondervan Corporation and The Lockman Foundation. The first edition was published in 1965. It is largely a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901, with reference made to various texts in the original...
in 1965. The NIV
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
New Testament was published in partnership with the International Bible Society
International Bible Society
Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL Biblica, formerly named named IBS-STL (from a merger of International Bible Society (IBS) and Send the Light (STL), has its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is a nonprofit Christian organization that...
in 1973, and the complete NIV Bible appeared in 1978. The company was bought by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
, a division of News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
, in 1988, and is the company's Christian book publishing division. Scott Macdonald was appointed President and CEO in May 2011.
Zondervan also publishes many other books by Christian authors
Christian literature
Christian Literature is writing that deals with Christian themes and incorporates the Christian world view. This constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing.-Scripture:...
focusing on topics of interest to Christians In the 1970s it published The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey
Hal Lindsey
Harold Lee "Hal" Lindsey is an American evangelist and Christian writer. He is a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist author. He currently resides in Texas.-Biography:...
, which has sold more than 30 million copies. They are also known for the Bible storytelling books of Ethel Barrett
Ethel Barrett
Ethel Barrett was a prolific Christian writer, speaker, and storyteller, whose popularity peaked between the early 1950s and the mid 1980s. She sold millions of copies of over 40 different books for publishers like Zondervan, Gospel Light and Regal Books. The latter printed and sold more than 4...
, Joni by quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada
Joni Eareckson Tada
Joni Eareckson Tada is an evangelical Christian author, radio host, and founder of Joni and Friends, an organization "accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community." "Joni" is pronounced as if it were spelled "Johnny" as she was named after her father.-Biography:As a teenager, Joni...
, Baptist minister and author Rick Warren
Rick Warren
Richard Duane "Rick" Warren is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States...
's The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold more than 35 million copies, and Rob Bell
Rob Bell
Robert Holmes "Rob" Bell Jr. is an American author and pastor. He is the founder of Mars Hill Bible Church located in Grandville, Michigan and is also the featured speaker in a series of spiritual short films called NOOMA.-Education and ministry:Bell is the son of Judge Robert Holmes Bell, who was...
, author of Velvet Elvis and presenter of NOOMA
NOOMA
NOOMA is a series of short films produced by Flannel promoting spiritual perspectives on individual life experiences. The name NOOMA comes from a phonetic spelling of the Greek word meaning "wind," "spirit," or "breath."-Format:...
. NOOMA is a series of short spiritual films. In 2004, Zondervan expanded to include Renee Altson, Shane Claiborne
Shane Claiborne
Shane Claiborne is one of the founding members of The Simple Way in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This community was featured on the cover of Christianity Today as a pioneer in the New Monasticism movement. Claiborne is also a prominent activist for nonviolence and service to the...
, Sarah Raymond Cunningham and Margaret Feinberg
Margaret Feinberg
Margaret Feinberg is an author and public speaker based in Morrison, Colorado. She creates books, Bible studies, and video curriculum aimed at the Christian bookstore market.- Biography :...
, authors writing for young readers
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
.
Recording Business
Zondervan was in the Christian recordGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
business for many years with the Singspiration and Zondervan Victory labels in the 1960s, Singcord in the 70s, and the Milk & Honey Records label in the 1980s.
In 1980, Zondervan and Paragon Associates bought Christian record label Benson Records
Benson Records
Benson Records was founded by Bob Benson & John T. Benson, beginning as the John T. Benson Music Publishing Company in 1902. The record label started out as Heart Warming Records and would come to house labels such as Impact Records, Greentree Records, RiverSong, StarSong and Home Sweet Home...
in a partnership to own and operate for $3 Million. The resulting company was (measured by sales) one and a half times the size of its closest competitor, Word
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
. Zondervan bought out Paragon in 1983, and eventually sold Benson to Zomba Label Group in 1993, now a part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was a recorded music company, which was a 50–50 joint venture between the Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann AG...
.
Pradis
Pradis was the trademarked name for Zondervan's native format for biblical software. On 22 September 2009, Logos Research Systems, IncLogos Bible Software
Logos Bible Software is a Bellingham, Washington software company and electronic publisher specializing in Bible study. Their flagship product is Logos Bible Software 4, a bible study software application for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, iPhone/iPad and Android platforms...
, and Zondervan announced a new partnership, and the retirement of Pradis. Thirty-one titles were slated for availability in "early 2010" in the LOGOS Bible Software
Logos Bible Software
Logos Bible Software is a Bellingham, Washington software company and electronic publisher specializing in Bible study. Their flagship product is Logos Bible Software 4, a bible study software application for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, iPhone/iPad and Android platforms...
format.
One key Pradis feature was customizable panes to efficiently divide the workspace into major areas, with a system of tabs within the panes to access many open books simultaneously without losing open books behind other windows, as is common with other systems. Pradis offered the ability to link works together by biblical references, but without providing topical linking between works. Advanced tools for original languages were available, as were additional commentaries and dictionaries, though the list of available offerings dwindled significantly before the termination of the line was announced.
Zondervan offered Pradis for license to other publishers, but response flagged. Now customers and publisher alike stand to benefit from greater compatibility.