Sophia Institute Press to become publishing division of Thomas More College

Sep 1, 2008 / 16:25 pm

Sophia Institute Press and the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts have announced a collaborative partnership making Sofia the publishing division of the college.

According to the statement announcing the partnership, the press was established to “nurture the spiritual, moral, and cultural life of souls and to spread the Gospel of Christ in conformity with the teachings of the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.” It has published over 200 titles in the past 25 years, selling nearly 2.5 million books worldwide.

Mother Teresa herself once praised Sofia Institute Press in a letter to its founder, Dr. John Barger.

“I am convinced of the good your books can do in helping people grow closer to God,” she wrote.

Barger said his company is “excited to be closely associated with an orthodox Catholic college like Thomas More.”

“I am delighted that Sophia's 25-year tradition of publishing great Catholic spiritual works will continue well into the future as the publishing imprint of Thomas More College,” he said, professing his “full confidence” in the president of Thomas More College, Dr. Jeffrey O. Nelson.

Commenting in a statement, Nelson said he had begun been laying plans to establish a publishing program that further advances the mission of “evangelizing the culture by promoting the Catholic intellectual tradition.

“I have always admired the work of Sophia Institute Press, and had hoped to establish a Press that mirrored Sophia's substantial work,” he continued.

“All of us at Thomas More College are excited to have the opportunity to form a relationship with Sophia that reduces repetition and enables Thomas More College and the Institute to more fully realize their missions of serving both the Church and society.”

Dr. Nelson has become Chairman of the Sophia Institute and its press, while Dr. Barger will continue as publisher.