Richard B. Hays
Richard B. Hays (born May 4, 1948) is Dean and George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. His service as dean is for an intentional interim period while a national search is conducted. Hays received his B.A in English literature from Yale College and Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School, and a Ph.D from Emory University. Considered one of the world's leading[citation needed] New Testament scholars, Hays' work focuses on New Testament theology and ethics, the Pauline epistles, and early Christian interpretation of the Old Testament.
In the field of New Testament studies, Hays has often been identified with figures such as N.T. Wright[citation needed], Luke Timothy Johnson[citation needed] and Raymond Brown[citation needed]. Some of Professor Hays' studies surround 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, and role of community in the New Testament. Hays is well known for his criticisms of the Jesus Seminar and the modern Historical Jesus movement. Hays has also been vocal about his criticisms of Dan Brown's best-selling The Da Vinci Code for its controversial historical claims.
Christianity Today named Hays's book "Moral Vision of the New Testament" one of the top 100 most important religious books of the 20th century. His treatment of homosexuality in "Moral Vision" has drawn some considerable attention[citation needed]. As a theologically conservative Methodist, he has throughout the course of his career remained committed to his Wesleyan roots in emphasizing the importance of charity and friendship in the Christian life. Moreover, Hays is a committed pacifist. He makes his position clear in The Moral Vision of the New Testament, in which he argues that Jesus Christ taught his disciples to be non-violent.
[edit] Publications
- The Art of Reading Scripture, co-edited with Ellen F. Davis. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003.
- "The Conversion of the Imagination: Scripture and Eschatology in 1 Corinthians," New Testament Studies 45 (1999): 391-412.
- The Conversion of the Imagination: Paul as Interpreter of Israel's Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005.
- Die Bibel im Dialog der Schriften: Konzepte intertextueller Bibellektuere, co-edited with Stefan Alkier. Tübingen/Basel: Francke, 2005.
- Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.
- The Faith of Jesus Christ: The Narrative Substructure of Galatians 3:1-4:11, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.
- First Corinthians. Interpretation Commentaries; Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1997.
- The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996.
- Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Pilgrimage, co-edited with Beverly Roberts Gaventa. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.
