International Association for the Psychology of Religion conference 2025

Conference theme: Highlighting the cross-disciplinarity of the psychology of religion

Call for proposals

Scholars in the Psychology of Religion employ different disciplinary and methodological perspectives to study diverse topics, such as lived spirituality, religious diversity and health and wellbeing. In this conference, we are particularly interested in highlighting the inherent cross-disciplinarity of the Psychology of Religion, both between disciplines (e.g., psychology, theology, religious studies) and within disciplines (e.g., different sub-disciplines of Psychology, including social, developmental, neuroscience, etc.). While you do not need to explicitly address cross-disciplinarity in your submission, we encourage you to consider how your work might engage with this theme. 

The conference theme is partly inspired by a “sister” Psychology-Engaged Theology Conference, which is the capstone event for the “New Perspectives on Social Psychology and Religious Cognition for Theology: Training and Developing Science-Engaged Theologians” grant (see ). The capstone event will be taking place just prior to the IAPR conference with a shared keynote on the evening of August 19  If you would like more information about this “sister” conference, please email pctp@contacts.bham.ac.uk

We will also have a preconference on the afternoon of August 19 with the theme: “Widening the Methods Toolbox in the Psychology of Religion.”

Conference dates

• Psychology-Engaged Theology Conference, August 18-19, 2025 (email pctp@contacts.bham.ac.uk for more information if you are interested in attending; the fee will be £50)
• IAPR Pre-conference, August 19, 2025: 12:30-16:30
• IAPR Conference, August 19-22, 2025 (starting at 17:00 on August 19)

Please note that the 2025 IAPR conference will be held exclusively in person; there are no options for online attendance.

Abstract Deadline: February 14 2025

We warmly invite you to contribute a paper, poster or panel.

Please note that we will accept submissions on a rolling deadline. Abstracts will be reviewed within 14 days of submission and applicants informed of their outcome shortly thereafter. We recommend that you submit your abstract as soon as possible, particularly if you are going to need a visa to attend the conference or if you would like to apply for the discounted housing on campus.

Types of submission

Oral paper

A paper presentation consists of 20 minutes of presentation and 10 minutes of discussion. We encourage presenters to plan their presentations in such a way that it will elicit a constructive discussion. Papers with similar topics will be grouped into panels by the organizers. 

Panel

A panel is a coordinated set of papers, all dealing with a particular topic or issue. A panel includes a chairperson and 3 or 4 presentations, which may include a discussant (optional). 

Poster

A poster is an opportunity to display information about completed or ongoing research. Posters will be displayed through the duration of the conference with designated sessions scheduled for participants to meet with authors to discuss their work. The presenting author must be present for their poster session.

Abstract submission instructions

Oral paper/poster

• Character limit: 1,000 (total)
  
• Please explicitly use the following 3 headings (“Aim”, “Methodology”, “Findings”) in your abstract. If your abstract does not contain these headings, it will be bounced back for revision.

1.      Aim: The aim/purpose of your paper/poster
2.      Methodology: The methodology you followed in your research/review
3.      Findings: The (expected) findings in your empirical work or the message you want the audience to take away, if it is a review.

Please click here to submit your proposal for an individual oral paper/poster

Panel

• Description of what panel is about (1000 characters (including spaces) max), and the abstracts following the specific format above for each paper in the panel. For example, if your panel includes 4 presentations, you’ll need to submit a description of the panel and 4 abstracts. 
• Panel proposals that are not accepted will automatically be considered for individual oral papers. Hence, if a paper is included in a panel submission, then the author(s) should not fill out the individual paper version of the form with the same information.
• Scholars can be first author only on one submission but are able to be coauthors (non-first authors) on other submissions. 

Please click here to submit your panel proposal

Poster competition and guidelines for poster

Best poster award

The best poster will be awarded a special certificate and free registration for one person to the next IAPR conference. The posters will be evaluated by the conference’s scientific committee based on:

• the coherence of the content,
• the clarity of the message, and
• the visual attractiveness of the poster.

Planning your poster

A poster should be complete and self-supporting so that different viewers may read at their leisure. The author should only need to supplement or discuss particular points raised during inquiry. Remember that several people of varying degrees of interest and experience may be viewing your poster at the same time. Therefore, you may wish to make your points as complete and brief as possible. 

Poster dimensions should not exceed 90cm × 120cm (35.43in × 47.24in). Posterboards are 96cm wide × 138cm high (37.80in × 54.33in). Note that this corresponds to a “portrait” orientation. The most effective use of the space would be in a grid plan arranged in columns. Allow for space when printing and planning layouts. 

The standard elements are Introduction, Methods, Results (with supporting figures), and a Conclusion or Summary. Fonts should be easily seen from a distance of roughly 2 meters. Using the guidelines above, the introduction would be placed at the upper left, and the conclusion at the lower right, both in large type. It is not necessary to post a copy of the abstract. 

Figures should also be easily seen from a distance. Use clear graphics and large fonts to accomplish this. The main points should be straightforward without extended viewing, but details should be included for those who might wish to discuss them. Because the amount of text is restricted, the figure legend could contain some of the commentary that would usually be contained in the body of a manuscript.

• Minimize narrative.
• Use large fonts in short, separated paragraphs.
• Do not set entire paragraphs in boldface or capital letters.
• Numbered or bulleted lists are a concise and effective way to convey a series of points.

Prepare a banner for the top of the poster indicating the abstract title, author(s) and affiliation(s). Lettering should be about 1 1/4 inches (3.12cm) high for the title, 3/4 inches (1.9cm) high for the author’s names and 1/2 inch (1.27cm) high for affiliations. 

Fees for registration - please note registration is not open yet

• Academic Staff (IAPR members): £250
• Academic Staff (non-IAPR members): £300
• Students (IAPR members): £130
• Students (non-IAPR members): £180
• Academic Staff from low-income countries (IAPR members): £125
• Academic Staff from low-income countries (non-IAPR members): £175
• Students from low-income countries (IAPR members): £60
• Students from low-income countries (non-IAPR members): £110
• Preconference attendance: £20
• Guest (someone not attending the conference) attendance at cultural event: £50
• Become an IAPR member 

Registration fees cover drinks reception on the evening of August 19, lunch and coffee breaks August 20 - 22, and the cultural event (including dinner) on August 21. 

Discounted accommodation information

We will have accommodation in student residence halls available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you would like to book one of these rooms you can indicate that on your registration form. We recommend registering early to ensure that you are able to reserve one. 

Rooms will cost £70/night, for an ensuite “small double” (6 inches narrower than a normal double bed) room, with breakfast included.

• View the accommodation

Keynote speakers

Rev Dr Joanna Collicutt: psychology and theology

I am a clinical psychologist and Anglican priest based in the University of Oxford. After a long and varied career in the British health service and academia my work now mainly focuses on psychology of religion and Christianity and the arts.

I studied experimental psychology and (later) theology at Oxford University, and clinical psychology and (later) Christianity and the Arts at King's College, London. My clinical work was mainly in the area of neurology and my first PhD was on fear and anxiety following acquired brain injury. My work in psychology of religion has focused on psychology and the Bible. My teaching has been in the areas of pastoral care, especially in the areas of ageing, mental health, and dementia; in the area of spiritual formation, especially the use of insights from positive psychology; and in spirituality and the arts. I am currently pursuing a second PhD at King’s College London on the Visual Commentary on Scripture. I have been passionate about the interface between theology and psychology since I was a teenager. Books include The psychology of Christian character formation. SCM, 2015;  Being mindful, being Christian. Monarch/SPCK, 2016; Thinking of you: A spiritual resource for people with dementia. BRF, 2016; Neurology and religion. Cambridge University Press, 2019; Death and life: A church’s guide to exploring mortality. BRF, 2024; So longeth my soul: A reader in Christian spirituality. SCM, 2024.

Prof Armin Geertz: cognitive science of religion

Armin W Geertz is Emeritus Professor at the Department for the Study of Religion and Former Fellow of Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University. Armin does research on Indigenous religions, Comparative Religion, Mythology and Folklore, and Extreme Religiosity and Mysticism. He also works in the Cognitive Science of Religion, Evolutionary Theories of Religion, and in Method and Theory in the Study of Religion. He uses a variety of methods spanning historical study, fieldwork, experiments and text mining. He is senior editor of Journal for the Cognitive Science of Religion and the Advances in the Cognitive Science of Religion series (both at Equinox). He has served as President of the International Association for the Cognitive and Evolutionary Sciences of Religion.

Prof Rebekah Richert: developmental psychology of religion 

Rebekah A. Richert earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology (BA) from Calvin College (1999) and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Virginia (2003). Funded by a National Science Foundation International Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, she was a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Harvey Whitehouse at Queens University-Belfast (2003-2004) and with Dr. Paul Harris at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education (2004-2005). 

Dr. Richert has developed various lines of research into how children’s developing social cognition influences their understanding of religion, fantasy, and media. In particular, she studies cultural and developmental mechanisms in the development of concepts of God, the soul, prayer and rituals, as well as children’s commitments to the reality status of religious entities and the efficacy of religious practices. Bridging the study of developing fantasy-reality distinctions, Dr. Richert also examines how the fantastical content and characters in children’s media can both support and hinder children’s learning from books, videos, and interactive games. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, The John Templeton Foundation, and the Templeton World Charity Trust.

Renate Ysseldyk: health psychology, aging, and religion

In broad terms, Renate’s research takes an interdisciplinary, mixed-method, and community-based approach to contribute toward understanding and promoting individuals’ mental health, and healthy societies more broadly, by focusing on three interconnected themes: 1) healthy aging, 2) (non)religious, ethnic, and gender-based social identities, and 3) coping with stress. Renate’s ongoing research program is thus grounded in a social identity theoretical framework for studying health among potentially vulnerable populations (e.g., older adults living with dementia, caregivers, individuals who have experienced stigma, discrimination, trauma, or illness) in order to transform understandings of psychosocial care and improve mental health outcomes.