History – Editura Sapientia

History of the Sapientia Publishing House

The “Sapientia” publishing house is the publisher of the Romano-Catholic Theological Institute “Saint Joseph” in Iași. It was established in 2000 and is located in the building of the same Institute, Str. Văscăuțeanu, 6, 700462 Iasi.

The main objective of the „Sapientia” Publishing House is the promotion of religious, spiritual, and theological literature among the Romanian public. To accomplish this, it supports:

a) The teaching and research activity of teachers and students from the Romano-Catholic Theological Institute “Saint Joseph” in Iasi, the Romanian Catholic Faculty of Theology in Iasi, as well as from other theological institutes and faculties in the country, by publishing manuals and other materials necessary for the deepening and development of theological studies.

b) The pastoral activity of the priests and their lax collaborators of our local Catholic Church, by publishing biblical, liturgical, historical, catechetic, homiletical books and materials.

c) Christian living of the laymen by publishing books of spirituality and religious culture to help them fulfill their mission in the Church and the world;

d) Promoting dialog with contemporary society by publishing books and religious materials, which are valuable in their content, but also competitive through the graphic quality and price so they may be easy to buy for everyone.

In the 25 years of activity, the „Sapientia” Publishing House published more than 1000 book titles, organized in 28 collections and categories. Most books are published in Romanian, but there are also papers published in foreign languages: Italian, English, and German. The authors are Romanians, but also foreign. For example, between 2015 and 2019, 199 books were published at the „Sapientia” Publishing House, out of which 106 are written by Romanian authors, and 93 are translations from foreign languages.

Books published by the „Sapientia” Publishing House are presented on www.editurasapientia.ro. Many of them are found in important libraries in Romania and abroad, indexed in online catalogs such as www.worldcat.org and www.kvk.bibliothek.kit.edu .

For the quality of published books, in 2012 the „Sapientia” Publishing House was classified by the CNCS in category B, the field of ‘Theology’.

The thematic profile

The theme profile of the „Sapientia” Publishing House is theological, spiritual, liturgic, religious, historical, and ecclesiastical fields.

Contributing to the dissemination of research results

The books published by the „Sapientia” Publishing House include results from scientific research by teachers and students from the Romanian-Catholic Theological Institute „Sfantul Iosif” in Iasi, from the Faculty of Roman-Catholic Theology in Iasi, as well as from other theological institutes and faculties in the country. Official documents for the study of theology or studies by foreign persons recognized for their teaching or theology research activities shall also be published.

Impact on the field

Through the published books, the „Sapientia” Publishing House contributed to:

a) A Strengthening the personality of our local Catholic Church in dialog with the other Christian churches in the country, as well as with civil society;

b) Promoting the cultural and theological values of our local Catholic Church and sharing with theological and cultural values of the universal Church;

c) The rise of the theological and religious level of clergy and religious believers in our local Catholic Church;

d) The training and promotion of new generations of priests and clergy believers, the tomorrow foundation of our local Catholic Church.

Thematic series/specialized collections

Books published at the Sapientia Publishing House are grouped into the following thematic series or specialized collections:

Holy Scripture
Biblical studies
Philosophy treaties
Dogmatical catholic theology
Theology treaties
Doctoral dissertations
Magisterium
Theological Studies
„Theological dialog” magazine
Liturgy
Studia et Documenta
History of the Church
Monographies
Patrology
Magistra vitae
Spirituality
Small spiritual treaties
Masters of spirituality
Christian prayers
Credo
Saints’ lives
Cateheza
Homiletics
Christianity in Contemporary
Church music
Dictionaries and encyclopedias
Religious poetry
Religious novel

The way the book is distributed at home and abroad

In the country, books published by the „Sapientia” Publishing House are distributed through the „Sapientia” Library and through bookstores with which the „Sapientia” Publishing House has collaboration contracts.

Abroad, the books are distributed on order, through Romanian Post or courier.

To facilitate the receipt of books, readers can order online from www.librariasapientia.ro

Partnerships with foreign publishing houses

The Sapientia Publishing House has developed several partnerships with foreign publishing companies over the years, including Cerf, Desclée de Brouwer, Fayard (France), Herder, Friedrich Pustet (Germania), Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Paoline, Dehoniane, Ancora, Ares, Edizioni Studio Domenicano (Italia), Ave Maria Press, Orbis Books (USA) etc.

Based on a contract (copyright), the „Sapientia” Publishing House published the translation of numerous fundamental works for the study of theology, for the liturgical and pastoral practice of the Catholic Church in Romania, for the spiritual and religious life of believers, for the Christian culture. This kind of translation shall be carried out by persons competent in the field.

Prizes at national and international book fairs (or similar distinctions)

The Sapientia Publishing House participates in most national book fairs. Of the awards we receive here are:

„Sfânta Cuvioasă Parasceva, Ocrotitoarea Moldovei” Prize for religion book for volume Lecții tomiste despre Dumnezeu, Anton Durcovici 2008, International Salon of Romanian Book, 17^th edition, Iasi, 5-8 October 2008.
„Sfânta Cuvioasă Parasceva, Ocrotitoarea Moldovei” Prize for religion book for volume Catolicii din Moldova în izvoarele Sfântului Scaun, Anton Coșa 2008, International Salon of Romanian Book, 17^th edition, Iasi, 5-8 October 2008.
Diploma of excellence for the publication Fascinația binelui – creștinism și postmodernitate, Wilhelm Danca 2009, Salon of the Romanian Book – Euro Invent, International Exhibition of creativity and Innovation, Iasi, 9 May 2009.
Diploma of excellence for the publication Frumusețea vieții creștine, Eduard Ferenț 2009, Salon of Romanian Book – Euro Invent, International Exhibition of creativity and Innovation, Iasi, 9 May 2009.
Diploma of excellence for the Mic Dicționar teologic, Ioan Tamaș 2009, Romanian Book Salon – Euro Invent, International Exhibition of creativity and Innovation, Iasi, 9 May 2009.
The award “Anton Durcovici” for the publication: Pentru iubirea lui Cristos. Dialoguri despre Biserică, Preoție și credință, de pr. prof. dr. Wilhelm Dancă, from the International Book Salon 2011.
The award “Anton Durcovici” for the publication: Dieceza de Iași în timpul păstoririi episcopului Dominic Jacquet OFMConv. (1895-1903), de pr. prof. dr. Fabian Doboș, from the International Romanian Book Salon 2011.
The „Anton Durcovici” prize for the publication: Ca toți sa fie una. Studii și articole în onoarea PS Petru Gherghel cu ocazia aniversarii a 20 de ani de episcopat și 70 de ani de viață, de PS Aurel Percă, Auxiliary Bishop of Iasi, coord., from the International Romanian Book Salon 2011.

Magazines appearing under the aegis of the publishing house

The „Sapientia” Publishing House publishes the „Teological dialog” magazine, which appears with a frequency of two numbers per year. In 2020 it reached 46 (in 1998 the first number).

In 2013 the magazine „theological dialog” was classified by the NCCS in category „C”, the field of „Theology”.