Richard B. Hays

Born on May 4, 1948, in Oklahoma City, Hays' parents divorced when he was three years old and he was raised by his mother, a Methodist church organist.^[1] Although he spent much time in the church, he rejected Christianity in his youth, believing that its adherents were hypocritical. As a student at Yale College, Hays was inspired by school chaplain William Sloane Coffin's faith and the role it played in his social activism.^[1] During his sophomore year, Hays reverted to Christianity after reading a verse from the Gospel of Mark during a Christmas Eve service.^[2]

Hays married Judith Cheek in 1970.^[3][4] Shortly before he married her, Hays predicted that he would either become a pastor or a rock and roll star.^[2] Hays also received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature in 1970, becoming an English teacher at a high school in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, shortly thereafter.^[3][2] However, he was dissatisfied with his teaching job and instead pursued the field of biblical scholarship.^[2] Hays received Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in 1977, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Emory University in 1981.^[3]

Hays returned to Yale Divinity School as an Assistant Professor of New Testament in 1981 and taught there^{[citation needed]} until 1991, when he moved to Duke Divinity School.^{[citation needed]} He was named George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament in 2002.^{[citation needed]} In 2010, he became dean of the Divinity School.^{[citation needed]} He stepped down from the role of dean in 2015 and went on medical leave following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. After successful treatment, he was able to return to teaching, and retired in 2018.^[3][5] In the summer of 2022, Hays was diagnosed with a recurrence of pancreatic cancer, and by fall of 2024, the cancer metastasized to both of his lungs. He died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 3, 2025, at the age of 76.^[1][2][6]

Hays was considered one of the world's leading New Testament scholars,^[7] with Stanley Hauerwas writing "There are few people I would rather read for the actual exposition of the New Testament than Richard Hays."^[8] Hays' work focused on New Testament theology and ethics, the Pauline epistles, and early Christian interpretation of the Old Testament.^[9][10]

Some of Hays' studies surrounded the narrative interpretation of Scripture, the New Testament's use of the Old Testament, the subjective genitive reading of pistis Christou ("faith(fulness) of Christ") in Paul,^[11] and the role of community in the New Testament. Hays was well known for his criticisms of the Jesus Seminar and the modern Historical Jesus movement.^[12] Hays was also vocal about his criticisms of Dan Brown's best-selling The Da Vinci Code for its controversial historical claims.^{[citation needed]}

Christianity Today named Hays' book Moral Vision of the New Testament one of the top 100 most important religious books of the 20th century.^[13] As a theologically conservative Methodist,^{[citation needed]} throughout the course of his career remained committed to his Wesleyan roots in emphasizing the importance of charity and friendship in the Christian life.^{[citation needed]} Moreover, Hays was a committed pacifist.^{[citation needed]} He made his position clear in The Moral Vision of the New Testament, in which he argued that Jesus Christ taught his disciples to be non-violent.^{[citation needed]}

Hays and his son, Christopher, published a new book, The Widening of God's Mercy, a book which argues that the biblical narrative and the expanse of God's mercy indicate the full inclusion of LGBTQ people within the church.^[14] They were interviewed about the book and its genesis on the U.S. National Public Radio program All Things Considered.^[15]

In 2008, a Festschrift was published in his honor for his sixtieth birthday. The Word Leaps the Gap: Essays on Scripture and Theology in Honor of Richard B. Hays included contributions from Stanley Hauerwas, E. P. Sanders, James D. G. Dunn, Francis Watson, N. T. Wright, and Ellen F. Davis.^[16]