Voices in the (Interdisciplinary) Wilderness: Reflections from a Psychology Cross-Training Project for Theologians

To encourage collaborations among psychology and theology—two fields that often speak past each other albeit having shared topics of inquiry—an interdisciplinary research team from the University of Birmingham designed a Psychology Cross-Training Programme (PCTP). This fellowship funded 31 theologians from across the globe to learn and apply psychological theories and methodological skills to conduct psychology-engaged theology research. Throughout the programme, the theologian Fellows extensively interacted with psychologists and with each other, providing opportunities for reflections on how to navigate the intersection of current psychological literature and their theological scholarship. Interdisciplinary research often requires working with collaborators who use different methodologies, epistemological frameworks, and disciplinary forms and norms. What is it like to pursue such collaborations? This article summarises and extends a recently held panel discussion in which a member of the PCTP team and five Fellows shared their first-hand experiences and ‘lessons learned’ from participating in the programme. Here, we further reflect on the complexity of navigating disciplinary boundaries/identities, highlight the conceptual, linguistic, and methodological gaps between theology and psychology, and discuss how academic hospitality can foster successful interdisciplinary communication and collaboration.