Hannah Waite

Profile

I joined the University of Leeds as a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in October 2024. My British Academy 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,” strives to amplify marginalized first-person accounts of religious experience in Christians who experience psychosis and/or mania, and foster a more nuanced and inclusive ‘both/and’ approach to understanding religious experiences.

Prior to joining the department at Leeds, I worked as a Principal Investigator on a related project exploring how mental health care professionals understand their patients' religious experiences. Additionally, I served as a module lead, writer, and visiting lecturer for Empirical Research Methods at the London School of Theology (2023–2024), a postdoctoral research associate for Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS) (2023), and as a science and religion researcher at Theos Think Tank (2019–2023). During my time at Theos, I co-authored briefing papers and reports, including “Science and Religion: Moving Away from the Shallow End” (2023), Playing God: Science, Religion and the Future of Humanity (SPCK, 2024), and The Landscapes of Science and Religion: What Are We Disagreeing About? (OUP, 2025), alongside Dr. Nick Spencer.

I completed an MA in Psychology in 2015 and a PhD in Practical Theology in 2021, both at the University of Aberdeen, where I was supervised by Rev. Professor John Swinton. I am also a fellow of the Cross-Training Programme in Psychology and Theology at the University of Birmingham.

Research interests

I am a Christian theologian interested in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of psychiatry, psychological sciences, and Christian theology.

My doctoral research and forthcoming book explore the lived experience of stigma among Christians with a clinical diagnosis of bipolar disorder. I am primarily interested in the relationship between theology, severe mental health challenges (such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, other forms of psychotic disorders, major depressive disorder, severe eating disorders, dissociative identity disorder, and personality disorders), community, epistemic injustice and human flourishing. Additionally, I have a strong interest in disability theology, which involves efforts by Christians, both disabled and non-disabled, to interpret the gospel and understand God and humanity through the lens of the experiences of people with disabilities. Disability theology encompasses various perspectives aimed at expressing the diverse theological meanings of disability. I am also engaged in qualitative research methods and the broader field of science-engaged theology.

I have contributed to the Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries programme, an initiative that equips churches to support individuals facing mental health challenges. This programme focuses on educating faith communities about mental health, fostering compassionate responses, and encouraging holistic well-being. My contributions aimed to bridge the gap between theological understandings and mental health realities, enabling churches to be safe spaces for those experiencing mental health difficulties.

My current research, funded by the British Academy, expands on these interests. The project, titled “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,” addresses an often overlooked issue: the marginalization of first-person accounts of mental illness in both society and faith communities. In many contexts, illness is viewed primarily through third-person perspectives, rooted in medical research and clinical evidence. While essential, this perspective frequently sidelines the lived, first-person experiences of individuals, particularly when it comes to mental health conditions like mania and psychosis. In faith communities, this issue is compounded when individuals’ accounts of such experiences are viewed as either symptoms of illness or genuine religious encounters, but rarely both. My research challenges this binary framework and strives to amplify marginalized first-person narratives. It advocates for a more inclusive, ‘both/and’ approach that embraces the complexity of these experiences. By rethinking the perceived dichotomy between medical and religious interpretations, my work seeks to foster a deeper, more nuanced understanding of religious experiences within the context of severe mental health challenges, ultimately contributing to more compassionate and inclusive faith communities.

Qualifications

• PhD in Practical Theology, University of Aberdeen
• M.A. Psychology, University of Aberdeen

Professional memberships

• British and Irish Association of Practical Theology
• Society for the Study of Theology
• European Society for the Study of Science and Theology
• The Institue on Religion in an Age of Science