Richard Hays

George Washington Ivey Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Duke Divinity School

Richard Hays was the George Washington Ivey Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Duke Divinity School and served as dean of Duke Divinity School from 2010 to 2015. Hays was internationally recognized for his work on the letters of Paul and on New Testament ethics. His scholarly work bridged the disciplines of biblical criticism and literary studies and his book “The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation” was selected by Christianity Today as one of the 100 most important religious books of the 20th century. HIs last book, co-written with his son Christopher, was “The Widening of God's Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story,” which argues for “the full inclusion of LGBT+ people in Christian communities.”

Hays died Jan. 3, 2025.