Personal profile
Biography
I am a psychologist of religion, primarily focusing on people’s perceptions of the relationship between science and religion and how people think about God.
I have previously held positions as University of Oregon, Coventry University, and most recently Newman University, where I was associate director of the Centre for Science, Knowledge, and Belief in Society. I am currently co-investigator of the “Science and Religion: Exploring the Spectrum Global Perspectives" project, and co-principal investigator of the "International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society" project .
Research interests
Within the psychology of religion, my research tends to focus on two broad areas. The first is investigating perceptions of the relationship between science and religion from a social and experimental psychology perspective. This has involved examining the roles of belief systems and social identities relating to religion, nonreligion, and science. Additionally, my research investigates social cognition (how we think about the self and others), particularly focusing on how people think about God. This research has implications for outcomes such as intergroup relations, stereotyping, prejudice, and mental health.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
(Non)religious social identity and perceptions of science
Sharp, C., Apr 2026, In: Current Opinion in Psychology. 68, 5 p., 102230.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Downloads (Pure) -
Science and Belief in Argentina: Mapping Moral and Epistemological Conflicts Through Moral Foundations Theory
Fitz Herbert, A., Sharp, C., Rivera, R. & Pittaro, E., 15 Feb 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile8 Downloads (Pure) -
The 2025 IAPR Conference at the University of Birmingham: Highlighting the Cross-Disciplinarity of the Psychology of Religion
Sharp, C. & Watanabe, S., 19 Feb 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Archive for the Psychology of Religion.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
-
Comparability vs. Relevance, and the Related Methodological Hurdles: Exploring Perceptions of Science and Religion Across Countries from a Psychological Perspective
Sharp, C. A., Leicht, C. & Hughes, R. E., 27 Aug 2025, International Perspectives on Science, Culture, and Belief: From Complexity to Globality. Elsdon-Baker, F., Jones, S. H. & Riley, J. (eds.). 1st ed. Routledge, p. 210-227 18 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Downloads (Pure) -
Exploration of Religious Social Identity and Perception of Science/Scientists: The Sri Lankan Context
Hughes, R., Sharp, C., Leicht, C., Hariharan, L., Premarathna, M., Mahees, M., Hettige, S. & Elsdon-Baker, F., 15 May 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Archive for the Psychology of Religion.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Projects
- 2 Finished
-
"We Don’t Want Your Thoughts and Prayers": Group Differences in Perceptions of Petitionary Prayer
Sharp, C. (Principal Investigator)
1/08/24 → 28/02/25
Project: Research
-
New Perspectives on Social Psychology and Religious Cognition for Theology: Training and Developing Science-Engaged Theologians
Catling, J. (Co-Investigator), Jones, S. (Co-Investigator), Sharp, C. (Principal Investigator), Elsdon-Baker, F. (Co-Investigator) & Daughton, A. (Researcher)
1/03/23 → 30/11/25
Project: Research
Datasets
-
Prospective UK undergraduate attitudes towards Theology and Religious Studies
Kidwell, J. (Creator), Daughton, A. (Contributor), Jhutti-Johal, J. (Contributor), Sharp, C. (Contributor), Shillitoe, R. (Contributor) & Wenell, K. (Contributor), Zenodo, 17 Feb 2024
Dataset