Russell Haitch

Russell Haitch came to Bethany in 2003, after being a teaching fellow at Princeton Theological Seminary and instructor for Pacific School of Religion.   He says major strengths of Bethany are “the high value it places on teaching and close attention given to each student.”

Haitch teaches in the field of practical theology, including courses in Christian education, church sacraments, theology and science, youth ministry, a survey course on ministry across the lifespan, and a capstone review course for graduating seniors. In his teaching, Haitch seeks to integrate theology with insights from human science (especially psychology and sociology), and he tries to ground his theology in Scripture.

His research interests are wide-ranging: Pentecostal and Eastern Orthodox theology, developmental psychology, philosophy of science, African Christianity, and 20^thcentury British poetry.  A unifying theme of these interests is a desire to understand “the relationship between human creativity and the Holy Spirit—between human and divine activity.”

Haitch’s written work has appeared in the Journal of Pastoral Psychology, Religious Education, Journal of Youth and Theology, Journal of Youth Ministry, Teaching Theology and Religion, and elsewhere.  His book From Exorcism to Ecstasy is a well-regarded graduate school text.

Ordained in the United Methodist Church, he has served as pastor for Methodist, Presbyterian and Chinese evangelical congregations.  Haitch is a graduate of Amherst College and Princeton Theological Seminary.  Before seminary, he worked for seven years as a writer for Young & Rubicam, a global advertising agency.