Richard Hays, a renowned scholar and professor emeritus at Duke Divinity School, has died following a decade-long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 76. Throughout his career, Hays was recognized internationally for his work combining biblical criticism and literary studies to study early Christian writers’ understanding of Israel’s scripture.
Hays served as dean of the Duke Divinity School from 2010 to 2015 and wrote several influential books, including “The Moral Vision of the New Testament” in 1996. However, in his most recent book, “The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story,” published in September 2024, Hays shared a revised perspective on same-sex relationships and publicly acknowledged that his scholarship had contributed to anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.
In an interview with The New York Times, Hays attributed his changing perspective to his experience teaching “gay and lesbian students” who were committed to the church and Christian faith. He stated that the Bible shows a bigger picture of God as one of surprise, generosity, and mercy, which led him to reconsider how to approach same-sex relationships.
Born in Oklahoma and earning degrees from Yale University and Emory University, Hays taught at various institutions before joining Duke’s divinity school. A respected leader in theological education, he served on editorial boards and chaired sections of the Society for Biblical Literature and the Seminar on New Testament Ethics.
Source: https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2025/01/duke-university-richard-hays-dies-former-divinity-school-dean-new-testament-scholar-76-the-moral-vision-of-the-new-testament-the-widening-of-gods-mercy-sexuality-within-the-biblical-story