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.

Professor of Psychology, Georgia Southern University