معرفی
Hannah Waite is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow of Religion at the University of Leeds, specifically within the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. She joined the university in October 2024 to pursue her research project "A zero-sum game? Exploring a both/and approach to biological disorder and religious experience in relation to Christians who experience psychosis and/or mania."
Dr. Waite's educational background includes a PhD in Practical Theology (2021) and an MA in Psychology (2015), both from the University of Aberdeen, where she was supervised by Rev. Professor John Swinton. She is also a fellow of the Cross-Training Programme in Psychology and Theology at the University of Birmingham.
Hannah Waite is a Christian theologian specializing in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of psychiatry, psychological sciences, and Christian theology. Her primary research interests include:
- Christian Theology and mental health
- Practical theology
- Stigma in religious contexts
- Bipolar disorder and religious experience
- Science-engaged theology
- Disability theology
- Qualitative research methods
Her current research focuses on amplifying marginalized first-person accounts of religious experience in Christians who experience psychosis and/or mania, challenging the binary framework that views these experiences as either symptoms of illness or genuine religious encounters, but rarely both. She advocates for a 'both/and' approach that embraces the complexity of these experiences.
- British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship
She has contributed significantly to the Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries programme, which equips churches to support individuals facing mental health challenges. Her previous work includes serving as a Principal Investigator on a related project, a module lead at the London School of Theology, a postdoctoral research associate for ECLAS, and a researcher at Theos Think Tank.
Her research is associated with the Centre for Philosophy of Religion and Theology at the University of Leeds.
