Christopher B Hays - Böcker

A fresh, deeply biblical account of God’s expanding grace and mercy, tracing how the Bible’s narrative points to the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in Christian communities  “A radical new vision . . . and [an] argument that God’s plan was always to include more and more people.”—Scott Detrow, All Things Considered, NPR  Discussions of the Bible and human sexuality often focus on a scattered handful of specific passages. But arguments about this same set of verses have reached an impasse, two leading biblical scholars believe; these debates are missing the forest for the trees.  In this learned and beautifully written book, Richard and Christopher Hays explore a more expansive way of listening to the overarching story that scripture tells. They remind us of a dynamic and gracious God who is willing to change his mind, consistently broadening his grace to include more and more people. Those who were once outsiders find themselves surprisingly embraced within the people of God, while those who sought to enforce exclusive boundaries are challenged to rethink their understanding of God’s ways.  The authors—a father and son—point out ongoing conversations within the Bible in which traditional rules, customs, and theologies are rethought. They argue that God has already gone on ahead of our debates and expanded his grace to people of different sexualities. If the Bible shows us a God who changes his mind, they say, perhaps today’s Christians should do the same. The book begins with the authors’ personal experiences of controversies over sexuality and closes with Richard Hays’s epilogue reflecting on his own change of heart and mind.

A fresh, deeply biblical account of God’s expanding grace and mercy, tracing how the Bible’s narrative points to the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in Christian communities  “A radical new vision . . . and [an] argument that God’s plan was always to include more and more people.”—Scott Detrow, All Things Considered, NPR  Discussions of the Bible and human sexuality often focus on a scattered handful of specific passages. But arguments about this same set of verses have reached an impasse, two leading biblical scholars believe; these debates are missing the forest for the trees.  In this learned and beautifully written book, Richard and Christopher Hays explore a more expansive way of listening to the overarching story that scripture tells. They remind us of a dynamic and gracious God who is willing to change his mind, consistently broadening his grace to include more and more people. Those who were once outsiders find themselves surprisingly embraced within the people of God, while those who sought to enforce exclusive boundaries are challenged to rethink their understanding of God’s ways.  The authors—a father and son—point out ongoing conversations within the Bible in which traditional rules, customs, and theologies are rethought. They argue that God has already gone on ahead of our debates and expanded his grace to people of different sexualities. If the Bible shows us a God who changes his mind, they say, perhaps today’s Christians should do the same. The book begins with the authors’ personal experiences of controversies over sexuality and closes with Richard Hays’s epilogue reflecting on his own change of heart and mind.

C. L. Crouch and Christopher B. Hays introduce the Book of Isaiah in its diverse historical contexts, tracing its origins and development over several centuries: beginning with the career of the prophet Isaiah ben Amoz in eighth century Jerusalem, continuing with a late seventh century edition and the further revisions made in the late sixth century, and concluding with final shaping during the Persian Period. At each stage Crouch and Hays pay close attention to the historical, cultural, and theological conversations that influenced the book's aims and interests. Crouch and Hays discuss the theological and literary continuities among the book's contributors, as well as where language and concerns differed from generation to generation. They also consider the reception history of Isaiah and what the text has meant to people through history.With suggestions of further reading at the end of each chapter, this guide will be an essential accompaniment to study of the Book of Isaiah.

C. L. Crouch and Christopher B. Hays introduce the Book of Isaiah in its diverse historical contexts, tracing its origins and development over several centuries: beginning with the career of the prophet Isaiah ben Amoz in eighth century Jerusalem, continuing with a late seventh century edition and the further revisions made in the late sixth century, and concluding with final shaping during the Persian Period. At each stage Crouch and Hays pay close attention to the historical, cultural, and theological conversations that influenced the book's aims and interests. Crouch and Hays discuss the theological and literary continuities among the book's contributors, as well as where language and concerns differed from generation to generation. They also consider the reception history of Isaiah and what the text has meant to people through history.With suggestions of further reading at the end of each chapter, this guide will be an essential accompaniment to study of the Book of Isaiah.

Key Selling Points: Shows how the Hebrew Bible was shaped by Ancient Near East texts, addressing literary, historical, and cultural contextsOffers Hebrew Bible texts with side-by-side comparison to Ancient Near East textsIdeal for introductory courses in Hebrew Bible

Using the Bible as the foundational source and guide, while also bringing contemporary sociological data to the conversation, seven biblical scholars and theologians construct a powerful dialogue about gun violence in America, concluding that guns are incompatible with the God of Christian Scripture. God and Guns is the first book to argue against gun culture from a biblical studies perspective. Bringing the Bible into conversation with contemporary sociological data, the volume breaks new exegetical and critical ground and lays the foundations for further theological work. The scholars assembled in this volume construct a powerful argument against gun violence, concluding that a self-identity based on guns is incompatible with Christian identity. Drawing on their expertise in the Bible's ancient origins and modern usage, they present striking new insights involving psychology, ethics, race, gender, and culture. This collection, carefully edited for clarity and readability, will change conversations—and our culture.Contributors include: T. M. LemosDavid LincicumShelly MatthewsYolanda NortonBrent A. Strawn

Few writings have shaped the world as much as the Book of Isaiah. Its lyricism, imagery, theology, and ethics are all deeply ingrained into us, and into Judeo-Christian culture more generally. It has been a cultural touchstone from the time when it was formed, and it influenced later Biblical authors as well. The Book of Isaiah is also a complex work of literature, dense with poetry, rhetoric, and theology, and richly intertwined with ancient history. For all these reasons, it is a challenge to read well. The Cambridge Companion to Isaiah serves as an up-to-date and reliable guide to this biblical book. Including diverse perspectives from leading scholars all over the world, it approaches Isaiah from a wide range of methodological approaches. It also introduces the worlds in which the book was produced, the way it was formed, and the impacts it has had on contemporary and later audiences in an accessible way.

Isaiah 24-27 has been an enduring mystery and a hotly contested text for biblical scholars. Early scholarship linked its references to the dead rising to the New Testament. These theories have remained influential even as common opinion moderated over the course of the twentieth century. In this volume, Christopher B. Hays situates Isaiah 24-27 within its historical and cultural contexts. He methodically demonstrates that it is not apocalyptic; that its imagery of divine feasting and conquering death have ancient cognates; and that its Hebrew language does not reflect a late composition date. He also shows how the passage celebrates the receding of Assyrian power from Judah, and especially from the citadel at Ramat Rahel near Jerusalem, in the late seventh century. This was the time of King Josiah and his scribes, who saw a political opportunity and issued a peace overture to the former northern kingdom. Using comparative, archaeological, linguistic, and literary tools, Hays' volume changes the study of Isaiah, arguing for a different historical setting than that of traditional scholarship.

Few writings have shaped the world as much as the Book of Isaiah. Its lyricism, imagery, theology, and ethics are all deeply ingrained into us, and into Judeo-Christian culture more generally. It has been a cultural touchstone from the time when it was formed, and it influenced later Biblical authors as well. The Book of Isaiah is also a complex work of literature, dense with poetry, rhetoric, and theology, and richly intertwined with ancient history. For all these reasons, it is a challenge to read well. The Cambridge Companion to Isaiah serves as an up-to-date and reliable guide to this biblical book. Including diverse perspectives from leading scholars all over the world, it approaches Isaiah from a wide range of methodological approaches. It also introduces the worlds in which the book was produced, the way it was formed, and the impacts it has had on contemporary and later audiences in an accessible way.

The Story of Wenamun is an Egyptian travelogue from the early first millennium BCE that is enlivened by visits to exotic ports of call, piracy, intrigue, and attempted murder. It is also an underappreciated example of the intercultural exchange of theological ideas in the early Iron Age.In Wenamun’s Prophetic Mission, Christopher B. Hays identifies striking similarities between theological rhetoric in the ancient Egyptian Story of Wenamun and that of the Hebrew prophets. Hays challenges scholars of the ancient Mediterranean to reimagine the cultural milieu that gave rise to Iron Age Yahwism and ultimately to “biblical monotheism,” arguing that the Hebrew Bible’s theocratic and monotheizing rhetoric owes more to the influence of Egypt than is often recognized. Along the way, Hays makes Wenamun accessible to biblical scholars and non-Egyptologists with the clarity of presentation that his acclaimed sourcebook, Hidden Riches, brought to other ancient Near Eastern texts. This volume includes a thorough survey of past scholarship on Wenamun as well as an introduction to the historical situation of Egypt, the Levant, and the Mediterranean at the beginning of the first millennium BCE.This provocative new study makes an important contribution to academic discourse on ancient Near Eastern prophecy and will appeal to scholars of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Mediterranean.

This edited collection invites fresh readings of play and storytelling in the Barbie movie (2023) through the lens of the Bible and theology. For Christopher B. Hays, Meghan R. Henning, and their contributors, the Barbie movie is more than pink and mojo dojo casa houses; they argue that the film offers a nuanced reflection of Biblical and theological ideas. The chapters herein analyze the cultural impact of Barbie on its own terms, critically engaging its explicit attempts to offer social critiques of capitalism, patriarchy, ableism, and racism. From exploring Ruth Handler as God, Barbie as both Jesus and a jezebel, and historical Judean “doll-like” figurines, this volume’s interdisciplinary interlocutors identify how Barbie depicts the stories we tell about ourselves, society, and God.