Articles by Russ Meek

Author, editor, and lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew at Ohio Theological Institute

Why Social Media Is a Last Resort for Survivors of Clergy Abuse

The church shouldn’t need a hashtag to shame it into taking sexual violence seriously. Abuse survivors shouldn’t have to look to Twitter and Facebook and blogs to find a place to belong, to be believed, and to give voice to their trauma.

Russ Meek January 18, 2020

Religion News Service

The SBC’s Same-Sex Abuse Problem

If our zeal for a biblical view of sexuality outshines our desire to protect the people in our churches, something has gone very, very wrong.

Russ Meek December 18, 2019

Red Letter Christians

How the Misuse of Matthew 18 Bullies Abuse Survivors Into Silence

Matthew 18:15-17 is inadequate — and becomes itself a tool for abuse — when it is used to bully abuse survivors into silence.

Russ Meek December 16, 2019

How to Read Habakkuk Theologically

Perhaps we hear faint echoes of the cross in this exchange, another instance in which God entirely turned human expectations and notions of justice on their head.

Russ Meek December 2, 2019

Biblical Recorder

The Line Isn’t Fuzzy. Youth Pastors Shouldn’t Date Youth

The legal age of consent should not blur our vision on these issues. No youth pastor should “date” or engage in any sort of sexual relationship with any person under their care.

Russ Meek November 27, 2019

How to Read Micah Theologically

We can follow Jesus (see Matt 22:36–40) in categorizing Micah’s sermons under two headings: love God and love people.

Russ Meek November 4, 2019

Religion News Service

Was Bathsheba Raped? Yes, and Why That Matters

Ideology drives action, and for many evangelicals a skewed perception of power dynamics and sexual violence is at the wheel.

Russ Meek November 1, 2019

LifeWay Pastors

When Legacy Becomes a Lie

When I resigned from my full-time teaching job last semester, I didn’t realize all the feelings that would accompany the transition. I definitely didn’t realize how much of my identity I’d placed in my role as a professor.

Russ Meek October 31, 2019

The Bible Told Us Every Girl Was Sour?

The theological problem with purity culture and how we talk about the plague of pornography is that it sexualizes women (and men, though I think to a lesser extent).

Russ Meek October 30, 2019