Richard B. Hays, a renowned New Testament scholar whose work profoundly shaped contemporary Christian thought, passed away on January 3, 2025. Hays, a former dean of Duke Divinity School, was known for his insightful scholarship and his deep commitment to Christian faith.
Hays’s intellectual journey was deeply personal. Raised in a Christian home, he experienced a period of disillusionment with organized religion during his youth. However, his encounter with the writings of William Sloane Coffin, the renowned chaplain at Yale University, rekindled his interest in faith. Inspired by Coffin’s commitment to social justice, Hays began to re-examine his own beliefs.
A pivotal moment occurred during a Christmas Eve service while attending Yale. As he waited for the service to begin, he opened his Bible at random and stumbled upon Mark 8:35: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” This verse, Hays later recalled, profoundly impacted him, leading to a renewed commitment to his faith.
Hays’s scholarly work, deeply informed by his own spiritual journey, produced groundbreaking insights into the New Testament. His books, such as “The Moral Vision of the New Testament,” have been widely acclaimed and continue to inspire scholars and theologians worldwide.
