William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
An independently owned Grand Rapids publisher specializing in Christian theology, biblical studies, religious history, reference works, spirituality, cultural criticism, literature, and books for younger readers.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is an independent American religious and general-interest publisher headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Established in 1911 by Dutch American immigrant William B. Eerdmans and his business partner Brant Sevensma, the company began as a book dealership serving the theological and educational needs of the region’s Dutch-American and Calvinist communities. Its early business concentrated on theological textbooks and related religious literature, establishing a specialization that has remained central to the house. The company’s origins are closely associated with William B. Eerdmans, who was born Wiltje Eerdmans in Bolsward in the Netherlands and moved to Grand Rapids in the early twentieth century. In 1911, while still a student at Calvin College, he formed the Eerdmans–Sevensma dealership. He also published a Dutch-language book about the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, an early indication that the enterprise would combine bookselling with publishing. Sevensma left the partnership in 1915, after which Eerdmans continued independently under the William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company name. Over the following decades, Eerdmans developed a broad catalog in Christian theology, biblical studies, religious history, church history, philosophy of religion, and reference publishing. The company has also issued works in spirituality, social and cultural criticism, biography, literature, and related areas. Its author list has included major twentieth- and twenty-first-century religious thinkers and writers such as C. S. Lewis, Karl Barth, James Tunstead Burtchaell, Richard J. Neuhaus, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Richard Mouw, Martin Marty, Rowan Williams, Joan Chittister, Dorothy Day, and Mark Noll. This catalog gives the company a position between scholarly and trade publishing: it serves academics, clergy, students, religious institutions, and general readers interested in Christianity and public life. Eerdmans has maintained an independent ownership structure rather than becoming part of a large commercial publishing conglomerate. William B. Eerdmans led the company until his death in 1966, when his son, William B. Eerdmans Jr., succeeded him. The business later expanded its audience through Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint established in 1995 by Amy Eerdmans, daughter of William B. Eerdmans Jr. The imprint publishes fiction and nonfiction for children, adolescents, and young adults, extending the company’s editorial scope beyond specialist religious and theological works. The company’s present identity rests on continuity, editorial independence, and a wide understanding of religious publishing. Although theology and biblical studies remain core categories, Eerdmans also publishes books addressing spirituality, ethics, society, culture, literature, and the experience of faith. Its list includes both academic and accessible works, while its children’s imprint provides a separate channel for illustrated books, youth fiction, and nonfiction. The company is therefore best understood as an independent Christian publishing house with a scholarly backbone and a broader literary and cultural program.
History
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company emerged from the religious and educational culture of Grand Rapids, Michigan, a city shaped by Dutch immigration and Calvinist institutions. William B. Eerdmans, born Wiltje Eerdmans in Bolsward, Netherlands, immigrated to the United States in the early twentieth century and settled in Grand Rapids. In 1911 he and Brant Sevensma established the Eerdmans–Sevensma book dealership. The venture focused on theological textbooks and related religious materials, serving students, ministers, churches, and readers connected to the area’s religious colleges and communities. Eerdmans was already experimenting with publishing by 1912, when he issued a Dutch-language book concerning the sinking of the Titanic. In 1915, Sevensma departed the partnership, and Eerdmans continued as sole owner under the company name that became William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. The firm’s early specialization in theological books developed into a long-term program in Christian scholarship, including theology, biblical studies, religious history, church history, and reference publishing. During the twentieth century, Eerdmans built a catalog that brought together scholarly and more accessible religious writing. The company published works by influential figures including C. S. Lewis and Karl Barth, as well as authors working in theology, philosophy, church history, ethics, spirituality, and public religious thought. Its list also came to include writers such as James Tunstead Burtchaell, Richard J. Neuhaus, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Richard Mouw, Martin Marty, Rowan Williams, Joan Chittister, Dorothy Day, and Mark Noll. These publications helped establish Eerdmans as a significant independent house in Christian academic and intellectual publishing. William B. Eerdmans remained associated with the company until his death in 1966. His son, William B. Eerdmans Jr., succeeded him, continuing the family ownership and the company’s independent character. Rather than narrowing itself to a single denominational audience, the house maintained a broad Christian list encompassing multiple traditions and approaches to theology, biblical interpretation, spirituality, and religious culture. A major later development was the creation of Eerdmans Books for Young Readers in 1995. Founded by Amy Eerdmans, daughter of William B. Eerdmans Jr., the imprint expanded the company into fiction and nonfiction for babies, children, teenagers, and young adults. This program complemented the established adult list while giving the family-owned publisher a presence in children’s literature. Eerdmans remains based in Grand Rapids and continues to operate independently. Its publishing program combines academic monographs, theological commentaries, religious reference works, trade books on spirituality and social concerns, literature, and children’s titles. The company’s history is consequently defined by family continuity, independence, and the gradual expansion of a specialized theological bookseller into a diversified Christian and literary publishing house.
- 1995
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers launched
[1]Amy Eerdmans established an imprint dedicated to fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults.
- 1966
Second-generation leadership
[1]Following the death of William B. Eerdmans, his son, William B. Eerdmans Jr., succeeded him.
- 1915
Company becomes solely owned by Eerdmans
[1]Brant Sevensma left the partnership, and William B. Eerdmans continued the business under the William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company name.
- 1912
Early Dutch-language publication
[1]While still a student at Calvin College, William B. Eerdmans published a Dutch-language book about the sinking of the Titanic.
- 1911
Eerdmans–Sevensma dealership established
[1]William B. Eerdmans and Brant Sevensma founded a Grand Rapids book dealership specializing in theological textbooks.
Products and positioning
An independent Christian publisher combining academic credibility in theology and biblical studies with accessible books on spirituality, culture, literature, and religion, plus a dedicated children’s and young adult publishing program.
Biblical commentary
New International Commentary on the New Testament
A major commentary series focused on the New Testament. It represents Eerdmans’s long-standing role in publishing substantial biblical scholarship for students, clergy, scholars, and serious general readers.
Biblical commentary
New International Greek Testament Commentary
A scholarly commentary series centered on the Greek text of the New Testament. The series reflects the company’s emphasis on academically rigorous biblical studies and theological reference publishing.
Children's and young adult publishing · 1995
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
An imprint founded in 1995 that publishes fiction and nonfiction for younger audiences, ranging from books for babies and children to titles for teenagers and young adults. It broadens Eerdmans’s traditional religious and scholarly list into children’s literature.
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