Prof. Mahmut Zengin completed his undergraduate education in the field of Theology (2000), his master's degree (2004) and his doctorate (2010) in Religious Education at Marmara University. In 2011, he was appointed to Sakarya University, Faculty of Theology, Department of Philosophy and Religious Sciences as an Assistant Professor. Zengin, who became an Associate Professor in 2016, became a Professor in the field of Religious Education in 2023. Prof. Zengin currently works for Sakarya University, Faculty of Theology, Department of Philosophy and Religious Sciences. Prof. Zengin has many articles published in journals indexed in national and international directories. Prof. Zengin's research areas include religious studies, Islamic education, values ​​education, religious teaching in curricula and textbooks, and religious teaching methods.

Atatürk Üniversitesi İlâhiyat Fakültesinde lisans (1997), Marmara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Din Eğitimi Bilim Dalında yüksek lisansını (1999) tamamladı. “Fıtrat kavramı çerçevesinde eğitimde insanın neliği” konulu çalışması ile doktorasını (2006) yine Marmara Üniversitesinde yaptı. 2003-2008 yılları arasında Değerler Eğitimi Merkezi kurucu yöneticiliğini yaptı; ulusal ve uluslararası düzeyde akademik faaliyetlerin organizasyonunda çalıştı; din eğitimi ve değerler eğitimiyle ilgili çalışmaları yayına hazırladı. 2008 yılında Arapça eğitimi için sekiz ay süreyle Ürdün’de bulundu.
2009-2012 yılları arasında İstanbul Üniversitesi Hasan Ali Yücel Eğitim Fakültesi DKAB Eğitimi Bölümünde Dr. Öğretim Üyesi olarak görev aldı. 2012 yılında İstanbul Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesine intisap etti; halen buradaki görevine devam etmektedir.

Yayın hayatına başladığı 2003 yılından itibaren Değerler Eğitimi Dergisi’nin yayın kurulunda yer aldı; 2019-2020 yıllarında bu derginin editörlüğünü yürüttü. Çalışmalarını din eğitimi politikaları ve ilahiyat fakülteleri üzerine yoğunlaştırmıştır. 

Ali Ayten was born in 1979 in Konya, Türkiye. He completed his primary and secondary education in Derbent. During his final year of high school, he decided to pursue higher education in theology. He graduated from the Faculty of Theology at Selçuk University in 2002. During his undergraduate studies, he developed a strong academic interest in the psychology of religion and began preparatory work for graduate studies in this field. In 2003, he was appointed as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology of Religion at the Faculty of Theology, Marmara University. He completed his master’s degree in 2004 with a thesis entitled “The Relationship between Self-Actualization and Religiosity.” In 2009, he earned his PhD with a dissertation entitled “The Role of Religiosity and Empathy in Prosocial Behavior.” During the 2008–2009 academic year, Ayten was a visiting researcher at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan, where he both advanced his Arabic language skills and conducted theoretical and empirical research in the psychology of religion. In the 2010–2011 academic year, he served as a research fellow at the University of London, carrying out a study on the relationship between religiosity and identity among Muslims living in London. In 2012, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor based on his scholarly work focusing on the role of religion in coping processes. In 2017, he was promoted to Full Professor following the publication of his work Erdeme Dönüş (Return to Virtue), which examines the positive psychology approach within a religious framework. He is currently a Professor of Psychology of Religion at the Faculty of Theology, Marmara University. Ayten is proficient in Arabic and English. He is married and the father of three children.Selected Publications:Psychology and Religion; Psychology of Religion; Empathy and Religion; Taking Refuge in God; Return to Virtue; Popular Religiosity; In Pursuit of Happiness; Introduction to Sufi Psychology; Religion and Health; Oh, These Youth!; Nature Is Entrusted to Us.

Sümeyra Uzun, who completed her undergraduate education at Marmara University, Department of Theology and Boğaziçi University, Department of Preschool Teaching, completed her master's degree at Istanbul University, Department of Religious Culture Education, with a thesis she wrote on the theme of Comparative Education (Early Childhood Religious Education). Uzun did his doctoral study in religious education on Program Development in Early Childhood Religious Education. Uzun has national and international publications, articles, research, and book chapters on program development, integrated education programs, and religious development theories in early childhood religious education. She has worked as a teacher and administrator in schools within the Ministry of National Education since 2011. Sümeyra Uzun has supported educational research within the Institute Social as of August 2023.