Hays's analysis of intertextual echoes in Paul's letters has touched off exciting debate among Pauline scholars and made more recognizable the contours of Paul's thought. These studies contain some of the early work leading up to Hays's seminal Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul and also show how Hays has responded to critics and further developed his thought in the years since. Among the many subjects covered here are Paul's christological application of Psalms, Paul's revisionary interpretation of the Law, and the influence of the Old Testament on Paul's ethical teachings and ecclesiology.
Richard B. Hays (1948-2025) taught for nearly three decades at Duke Divinity School, where he held the position of George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament and also served for five years as the divinity school's dean. Hays was internationally known for his work on New Testament ethics, the Gospels, and the letters of Paul. His groundbreaking book The Moral Vision of the New Testament was selected by Christianity Today as one of the 100 most important religious books of the twentieth century. His other publications included Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels, The Conversion of the Imagination, and Reading with the Grain of Scripture. In 2022, the British Academy awarded him the Burkitt Medal for his work in New Testament studies.
Victor Paul Furnish
"Richard Hays not only invites us to consider the formative role that Israel's Scripture played in Paul's thought. He also challenges us to learn from the apostle what it means to read Scripture faithfully, attentive to its 'gracious word of promise.' These are important essays, devoted to a critical topic, from a noted New Testament interpreter."
Anvil
"The Conversion of the Imagination is a must for anyone interested in the use of Scripture within Scripture. It will encourage and inform those who want to learn better how to listen to the Christian Scriptures themselves, as distinct from what others write about them."
Review of Biblical Literature
"Hays's own lyrical and evocative style of writing is an ideal vehicle for exploring Paul's own lyrical and evocative uses of Scripture. . . . Richard Hays has made a seminal contribution to biblical hermeneutics . . . . It is always fruitful to be in dialogue with him."
Reviews in Religion and Theology
"Makes some of [Richard] Hay's most important work more readily accessible to a new generation of readers. . . Merits sustained attention from all who seek to understand better the role and function of scripture in Paul's letters and thoughts."