Dr Carissa Sharp

Dr Carissa Sharp

Department of Theology and Religion
Associate Professor in Psychology of Religion

Contact details

Email
c.sharp@bham.ac.uk
Address
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Qualifications

  • PhD, Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Cambridge, 2013
  • MTS, Christianity and Society, Harvard Divinity School, 2008
  • BA (Hons), Psychology and Religious Studies, University of Oregon, 2006

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 .

Postgraduate supervision

I am happy to supervise topics within the psychology of religion, including:

Perceptions of the relationship between science and religion
Social identities and intergroup relations, particularly relating to religion, nonreligion, and/or science
Stereotyping and prejudice
How people think about God (God representations)
The complexity of people’s religious ideas and/or identities

Research

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.  

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Hughes, R, Sharp, C, Leicht, C & Elsdon-Baker, F 2025, '', Archive for the Psychology of Religion.

Leicht, C, Sharp, C, LaBouff, J, Zarzeczna, N & Elsdon-Baker, F 2021, '', The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion.

Sharp, C 2021, '', Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 340–357.

Sharp, C, Leicht, C, Rios, K, Zarzeczna, N & Elsdon-Baker, F 2021, '', Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.

Davis, EB, Granqvist, P & Sharp, C 2021, '', Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 401–415.

Sharp, C & Johnson, K 2020, '', The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 48-67.

Sharp, C, Shariff, A & LaBouff, J 2020, '', The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 73-88.

Johnson, K, Okun, M, Cohen, A, Sharp, C & Hook, J 2019, '', Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 339-349.

Johnson, K, Sharp, C, Okun, M, Shariff, A & Cohen, A 2018, '', The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 121-140.

Sharp, C, Rentfrow, PJ & Gibson, NJS 2017, '', Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 95-105.

Chapter (peer-reviewed)

Sharp, C, Leicht, C & Hughes, R 2025, . in F Elsdon-Baker, SH Jones & J Riley (eds), International Perspectives on Science, Culture, and Belief: From Complexity to Globality. 1 edn, Routledge.

Sharp, C & Collicutt, J 2025, . in Cambridge International Handbook of the Psychology of Religion. Cambridge University Press.

Sharp, C, Brown, J & Farias, M 2024, . in S Laham (ed.), Handbook of Ethics and Social Psychology. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

Sharp, C & Leicht, C 2020, . in F Elsdon-Baker & B Lightman (eds), Identity in a Secular Age: Science, Religion and Public Perceptions. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh.

Chapter

Jong, J, Poon Zahl, B & Sharp, C 2017, . in R Finke & C Bader (eds), Faithful Measures: New Methods in the Measurement of Religion. New York University Press, New York, pp. 78-107.