As the Research Fellow responsible for dissemination in the Psychology Cross-Training for Theologians Project (PCTP), I was tasked with creating publicly available resources based on the project's workshop materials. These resources - comprising an interactive Genially course, a podcast series, and two animations - support theological educators, practitioners, and researchers in applying psychological insights to their work. Hosted on the PCTP website, they draw directly from lectures, readings, videos, and activities developed during the cross-training programme.
To tailor these materials effectively, we carried out semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, including PCTP Research Fellows, external religious practitioners, and theological educators from UK religious educational institutes. The feedback identified clear priorities: straightforward introductions to core psychological and methodological concepts for use in teaching and research; practical tools from psychologically informed theological studies for frontline roles; and formats that are both engaging and easy to access, such as interactive modules or audio episodes suitable for busy schedules.
The cornerstone of these resources is the interactive Genially course, a modular, self-paced platform designed primarily for academic theologians and educators. It curates key workshop elements - including lectures, readings, videos, and activities - into an intuitive digital format. Users can navigate sections on topics like quantitative research methods, thinking theologically about qualitative data, and psychological approaches to the 'reality' of God representations, with built-in interactivity such as quizzes. Ultimately, the course aims to carry forward some of the successes of the Psychology Cross-Training Programme by providing future academic theologians with the tools to start undertaking psychology-engaged theological research. To that end, the Genially course will be hosted on the PCTP project website and will be freely available to all.
Complementing the course is a seven-episode podcast series, developed specifically for religious practitioners such as chaplains and lay leaders. Each episode, lasting 20-50 minutes, explores the findings from some of our Research Fellows' projects. The series covers diverse themes:
- the social impacts of listening in community settings;
- moral injury, spiritual damage, and abuse in Catholic ecclesial contexts;
- necessary interdisciplinary reflections on racism in the Church of England, informed by psychological research;
- associations between perceptions of God's "where-being" (transcendent, immanent, or indwelling) and contemplative prayer practices;
- patient and chaplain perspectives on the success of spiritual care visits;
- ageing as a liminal experience in theological and psychological terms;
- and God and self-representations among Christians with intellectual disabilities.
These recordings aim to provide evidence-based insights from our Fellows’ psychology-engaged studies to help religious practitioners in their work.
In parallel, we have created two short animations with an external contractor. The first provides an accessible introduction to psychology, covering the discipline’s history, major theoretical perspectives, and key research areas. The second offers an orientation to the psychology of religion, exploring its social scientific approach to religious beliefs, experiences, and behaviours; the multidimensional nature of religion and spirituality; and challenges like managing ambiguity through operational definitions. Each one is around three and a half minutes long, so these animations are ideal for quick topic introductions in training sessions or teaching materials.
For theological educators looking to integrate psychological methods into your curricula, practitioners drawing on these insights in pastoral care, or researchers embarking on interdisciplinary projects, these resources provide practical support to not only understand but also actively pursue psychology-engaged theology. Explore them on the PCTP website now.
