Sun Yiping has a master's degree in philosophy and a doctorate in history from Nanjing University. She is currently a professor and doctoral supervisor in the Department of Philosophy and Department of Religion at Nanjing University, a member of the Board of Directors of the Chinese Society of Religion, a visiting scholar at Harvard University and Hong Kong Baptist University, and a special professor at the National Library's "Wenjin Lecture Hall".

Her research interests include the principles of religion, Chinese Taoism and Buddhism.