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New Studies in Biblical Theology #14
From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race (Volume 14)
"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language . . ." (Revelation 7:9).The visions in the book of Revelation give a glimpse of the people of God at the consummation of history―a multiethnic congregation gathered together in worship around God's throne. Its racial diversity is expressed in a fourfold formula that first appears in Genesis 10.The theme of race runs throughout Scripture, constantly pointing tothe global and multiethnic dimensions inherent in the overarching plan of God. In response to the neglect of this theme in much evangelical biblical scholarship, J. Daniel Hays offers this thorough exegetical work in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. As well as focusing on texts which have a general bearing on race, Hays demonstrates that black Africans from Cush (Ethiopia) play an important role in both Old and New Testament history.This careful, nuanced analysis provides a clear theological foundation for life in contemporary multiracial cultures and challenges churches to pursue racial unity in Christ.Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to helpChristians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
About the author
D.A. Carson
340 books765 followersDonald A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been at Trinity since 1978. Carson came to Trinity from the faculty of Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he also served for two years as academic dean. He has served as assistant pastor and pastor and has done itinerant ministry in Canada and the United Kingdom. Carson received the Bachelor of Science in chemistry from McGill University, the Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto, and the Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from the University of Cambridge. Carson is an active guest lecturer in academic and church settings around the world. He has written or edited about sixty books. He is a founding member and currently president of The Gospel Coalition. Carson and his wife, Joy, reside in Libertyville, Illinois. They have two adult children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 1, 2021
Wouldn’t call this a biblical theology of race. At best it might be a biblical theology of ethnicity. The author fails to even define race and just accepts it as a legitimate category. The first half was stronger than the second, but in the second half (focusing on the NT) the authors goal and language seems to change entirely. In the beginning, he maintains fairly well a discussion more centered on racial categories but by the middle he begins using the term ethnicity interchangeably. This makes the books arguments confusing and inconsistent. I was very disappointed and wish he would have made more of an effort to challenge the construct of race rather than accepting it as a God ordained reality.
October 12, 2020
2020 reads: 43/52
Rating: 4.5 stars
J. Daniel Hays has set out to provide a survey of ethnicity in the Christian canon. After spending some time studying the Cushites, Hays was "startled to notice how much the Bible does actually say about race, and how little White-dominated theological scholarship has acknowledged it." (12)
From institutions to systematic theology text books, Hays shows how matters of ethnicity and race are noticeably missing. In contrast to the deafening silence, Hays attempts to offer a "serious exegetically based study of passages that relate to the race issue." (21)
Hays proceeds to explain the ethnic make-up of the Old Testament world, looking at ethnic categories and descriptions, tackling the 'curse of Ham', Israel's ethnic make-up, as well the issue of race in the prophets. This is followed up with the ethnic make-up of the New Testament world, as well as a look into race and theology in the NT canon.
I must say, the exegetical study yielded some fascinating observations. Here are a couple:
1) there are clear portrayals of Black Africans in the Bible (Cushites, also referred to as Ethiopians—the author prefers the former name).
2) Israel itself was far from being ethnically monolithic and appears to have been a mix of western Mesopotamian, Canaanite, and Egyptian.
3) despite a lot of silence/misreading on this people group, the Cushites were a civilization that stood as one of the major powers in the Ancient Near East for over 2000 years. Many scholars have assumed that any talk of the Cushites referred to a people in slavery, which is totally without historical or textual support; they also frequently aided Israel as allies in attacks throughout Israel's monarchy.
4) Phinehas' (Num. 25:11-3) name literally means, the "Negro", or "Nubian" or "Cushite". Hays writes: "Imagine the different route American Christianity might have travelled if the translators of the King James Bible had known Egyptian and had thus translated 'Phinehas' as 'the Negro'. The early Americans would have read that God made an eternal covenant with 'the Negro', that all legitimate Israelite priests are descended from 'the Negro', and that God credited righteousness to 'the Negro'. With such clear texts available, it would have been extremely difficult to defend slavery or to maintain any type of superiority-inferiority racial views." (84-85)
5) The black Cushites play a symbolic role in the prophets, representing the paradigmatic inclusion of Gentiles into Israel (see Zeph. 3:9-10).
6) If anything, the people group largely absent from the biblical data are white Europeans! Rome itself in the first century was a melting pot of Asian, African and Indo-Europeans peoples.
All that is to say, Hays' study casts a severe critique on a lot scholarship that has either ignored the history and impact of the black population or mis-interpreted their presence and significance. The exegesis is careful, neither fanciful or speculative and Hays' call for working toward unity in diversity is admirable and so needed today. Pick up and read!
Rating: 4.5 stars
J. Daniel Hays has set out to provide a survey of ethnicity in the Christian canon. After spending some time studying the Cushites, Hays was "startled to notice how much the Bible does actually say about race, and how little White-dominated theological scholarship has acknowledged it." (12)
From institutions to systematic theology text books, Hays shows how matters of ethnicity and race are noticeably missing. In contrast to the deafening silence, Hays attempts to offer a "serious exegetically based study of passages that relate to the race issue." (21)
Hays proceeds to explain the ethnic make-up of the Old Testament world, looking at ethnic categories and descriptions, tackling the 'curse of Ham', Israel's ethnic make-up, as well the issue of race in the prophets. This is followed up with the ethnic make-up of the New Testament world, as well as a look into race and theology in the NT canon.
I must say, the exegetical study yielded some fascinating observations. Here are a couple:
1) there are clear portrayals of Black Africans in the Bible (Cushites, also referred to as Ethiopians—the author prefers the former name).
2) Israel itself was far from being ethnically monolithic and appears to have been a mix of western Mesopotamian, Canaanite, and Egyptian.
3) despite a lot of silence/misreading on this people group, the Cushites were a civilization that stood as one of the major powers in the Ancient Near East for over 2000 years. Many scholars have assumed that any talk of the Cushites referred to a people in slavery, which is totally without historical or textual support; they also frequently aided Israel as allies in attacks throughout Israel's monarchy.
4) Phinehas' (Num. 25:11-3) name literally means, the "Negro", or "Nubian" or "Cushite". Hays writes: "Imagine the different route American Christianity might have travelled if the translators of the King James Bible had known Egyptian and had thus translated 'Phinehas' as 'the Negro'. The early Americans would have read that God made an eternal covenant with 'the Negro', that all legitimate Israelite priests are descended from 'the Negro', and that God credited righteousness to 'the Negro'. With such clear texts available, it would have been extremely difficult to defend slavery or to maintain any type of superiority-inferiority racial views." (84-85)
5) The black Cushites play a symbolic role in the prophets, representing the paradigmatic inclusion of Gentiles into Israel (see Zeph. 3:9-10).
6) If anything, the people group largely absent from the biblical data are white Europeans! Rome itself in the first century was a melting pot of Asian, African and Indo-Europeans peoples.
All that is to say, Hays' study casts a severe critique on a lot scholarship that has either ignored the history and impact of the black population or mis-interpreted their presence and significance. The exegesis is careful, neither fanciful or speculative and Hays' call for working toward unity in diversity is admirable and so needed today. Pick up and read!
July 28, 2022
Hays handles race quite well. Race as a relatively new construct is not immediately present in biblical times, but ethnicity is.
He pays special attention to the "Table of Nations" (Gen. 10) as informing much of biblical ethnic ethics. In the New Testament, he pays special attention to the universality of salvation and transcendence of tribal markers, but not at the expense of the doctrine that God intends His people to be multi-ethnic and multicultural.
Perhaps the BEST aspect of the book is his focus on Cush's role in Scripture. America's system of race is largely Black/White. As such, Hays highlights the role of Black Africans, while acknowledging the prejudice with which scholars in the 20th c. and earlier treated Cush and its people. This binary of our time also finds ample parallel with the binary of the NT: Jew and Greek.
Amazing read, for sure.
He pays special attention to the "Table of Nations" (Gen. 10) as informing much of biblical ethnic ethics. In the New Testament, he pays special attention to the universality of salvation and transcendence of tribal markers, but not at the expense of the doctrine that God intends His people to be multi-ethnic and multicultural.
Perhaps the BEST aspect of the book is his focus on Cush's role in Scripture. America's system of race is largely Black/White. As such, Hays highlights the role of Black Africans, while acknowledging the prejudice with which scholars in the 20th c. and earlier treated Cush and its people. This binary of our time also finds ample parallel with the binary of the NT: Jew and Greek.
Amazing read, for sure.
July 30, 2020
An exegetically clear and concise biblical theology of race. Hays does not answer every question I have regarding how the church can break down barriers that contribute to segregated churches. He does provide a persuasive argument that the biblical world was far more multi-ethnic and multi cultural and far more comfortable with it than we are. In fact, he argues that an egalitarian multi-ehtnic, multicultural society is what God has always meant for his people. He concludes by showing how this reality is guaranteed and shown in John's Apocalypse.
If you want to read the Bible's view of race and His plan to reconcile through Christ then read this book.
If you want to read the Bible's view of race and His plan to reconcile through Christ then read this book.
November 30, 2024
Excellent survey.
June 3, 2020
This is an important one to read today
February 27, 2017
This book examines the subject of race and ethnicity from the perspective of the whole Bible as it unfolds (a specific discipline known as "biblical theology"). Perhaps many Christians do not think about race when they read the Bible. But this book demonstrates that the Bible is replete with it.
This book was really helpful in changing the lens through which I read myself in the Bible. I never have really given much thought tot he various ethnics groups within the Bible because I mostly have focused on Israel as the people of God, or the Gentile’s in the church and the problems created with their inclusion. Most notably, I really never thought about black people in the Bible. I kind of thought of the Ethiopian eunuch, but I also imported the idea of modern Ethiopia into the text as my reference point. Little did I know that the Cushites are an entire race of black people. This book helped me visualize the various ethnic groups in the Bible and to remember that most of them are not white.
Secondly this book dismantled arguments that I never really knew existed, such as the “curse of Ham” being the basis for a history of white supremacy against blacks. Further, I appreciated the importance of all ethnicities being traced through the bible. I was blown away by the interracial marriages among OT characters such as Moses. I think this book should be pressed against those who still think interracial marriage is a sin, but even more so, this is such a beautiful book because it demonstrates God’s unfolding plan to unite a multi-ethnic people from all nations into Christ, and that contrary to how many in the west read their Bibles, the white church is not the main part of the biblical story. I’m challenged by Hay’s clarion call for active pursuit of unity in the church precisely because this is God’s redemptive plan as it unfolds throughout the whole Bible. White evangelicals need this message because it undercuts any current or hint of white supremacy or even just one’s individual tendency to visualize their own ethnic identity into the characters of the Bible.
This book was really helpful in changing the lens through which I read myself in the Bible. I never have really given much thought tot he various ethnics groups within the Bible because I mostly have focused on Israel as the people of God, or the Gentile’s in the church and the problems created with their inclusion. Most notably, I really never thought about black people in the Bible. I kind of thought of the Ethiopian eunuch, but I also imported the idea of modern Ethiopia into the text as my reference point. Little did I know that the Cushites are an entire race of black people. This book helped me visualize the various ethnic groups in the Bible and to remember that most of them are not white.
Secondly this book dismantled arguments that I never really knew existed, such as the “curse of Ham” being the basis for a history of white supremacy against blacks. Further, I appreciated the importance of all ethnicities being traced through the bible. I was blown away by the interracial marriages among OT characters such as Moses. I think this book should be pressed against those who still think interracial marriage is a sin, but even more so, this is such a beautiful book because it demonstrates God’s unfolding plan to unite a multi-ethnic people from all nations into Christ, and that contrary to how many in the west read their Bibles, the white church is not the main part of the biblical story. I’m challenged by Hay’s clarion call for active pursuit of unity in the church precisely because this is God’s redemptive plan as it unfolds throughout the whole Bible. White evangelicals need this message because it undercuts any current or hint of white supremacy or even just one’s individual tendency to visualize their own ethnic identity into the characters of the Bible.
June 21, 2021
I enjoyed the book, learned a lot particularly about history, and in general, agreed with its conclusions.
The importance of teaching the Bible within the reality of world history cannot be overstated. Perhaps part of the reason that the Bible is not a picture book is because God does not judge by the outward appearance. That one person has dark skin and another has light skin is just an expression of the variety of God’s creation. Skin color is no more important than eye or hair color, or height. These are trivial differences among people. Separating people prejudicially by appearance is ridiculous, as Dr. Seuss suggests in The Sneetches. Think it’s ridiculous that I would cite The Sneetches? Ridiculous is what I’m trying to illustrate! The trend to remove history from the Bible has been part of a greater assault on Scriptural inerrancy. We don’t need Satan to tempt us with the words, “Did God really say…?” Humankind’s desires for control over our own lives and the lives of others is all we need to twist the truths of the Bible to further our own agendas or limit the Bible’s applications to “just redemptive history.”
In our current image-oriented society, portraying the peoples of the Bible realistically, perhaps utilizing Bulger’s The Image of the Black in Western Art among other archeological sources, would go a long way to help Believers accurately picture people who would most likely be present in various Biblical accounts. Pictorial representations in children and adult material should be historically accurate. For example, picturing the black-skinned Cushites of Cush-controlled Egypt in the account of Hezekiah, or the white-skinned Celts of Galatia in contrast to the medium-brown skin tones that we assume in the Middle East, or the variety of skin tones in the group that Moses led out of Egypt and in the wilderness (including his black-skinned Cushite wife and the dark-skinned Phinehas) would demonstrate that people of all varieties were part of the Biblical narrative.
With regard to Moses’ Cushite wife, the author really wanted to suggest that Miriam and Aaron did not like her because she was black-skinned. Unfortunately, the evidence he cites does not support that conclusion and is inconsistent with the evidence from extrabiblical sources that “marriage between Blacks and other ethnic groups, especially Egyptians, was not all that unusual” (p. 74). He cited several reasons for this conflict, finally stating, “it is difficult to be certain about Miriam’s motives behind her opposition” (p. 76). So, to say that Miriam did not like Moses’ Cushite wife because she was black is speculation.
The author went to great efforts to illustrate that, through migration catalyzed by trade and war, many of the people groups living around the Mediterranean were in an ongoing state of change, as people arrived from “Africa, Britain, India, and even China” (p. 143). So, it would be difficult to define specific people groups by appearance. That God protected the ethnic and spiritual identity of the Jews, His vessel to carry His message to the world, was obvious in this context! Hays cited several sources that concluded that prejudices in the Greco-Roman world were not racially focused or defined. “The Greeks, Romans, and early Christians were free of…the curse of acute color consciousness.” (pp. 149-150)
What I’m trying to point out here, is that the concept of “race” as we know it, is not found in Biblical texts. When I am reading books and articles about “race” in the Bible, I look for how the author makes the transition between words like tribe, peoples, nations, and languages to the word “race.” For example, Hays discusses Galations 3:26-29:
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
He cites a source that equates Jew and Gentile with ethnicity, slave and free with economic capacity, and male and female with sexuality. Then he cites another source, Hove, who suggests the three couplets are merisms, meant to communicate universality. “There is no distinction in God’s people: no race, nation, class, or gender has favored status with God” (p. 186). The author apparently uses the concept of merism as an opportunity to insert a word/concept that wasn’t said into the text—race. In his defense, he does later say that “we applied [Galations 3:38] to today’s racial issue in the Church by way of analogy.” But he is preparing us for a leap.
The next text is Colossians 3:11:
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
The author now says that through the addition of the terms, barbarian and Scythian, “Paul is challenging the prevailing, commonly held, racially prejudiced view of the Greco-Roman world…” (p. 189). The author has already proven that race was not a source of prejudice in the early Christian world. In light of his previous efforts to describe physical appearance, he has also failed to describe the appearance of Scythians and barbarians in order to conclude that they are being judged by their physical appearance. (He states on p. 29, “…since the focus of this book is on racial issues, I have attempted to discuss the ethnic groups along broad racial lines: that is, focusing on the issue of physical appearance…”)
Of course, we can apply the concepts in the Galations and Colossians texts to our modern racial issues, but racial issues are not explicitly stated or implied in the text.
It may seem that I am being unreasonably picky, but race is simply not a Biblical concept. So, when the author concludes that “racial intermarriage is sanctioned by Scripture,” that intermarriage is scriptural is not the point. The point is that racial intermarriage does not exist in the first place! Humankind is one race of people. The concept of racial differences is a man-made sinful social construct that is not found in the Bible.
In our society, where we have a history of prejudice based on physical characteristics, it’s easy to project our racial paradigm into the Biblical text. I know the word, race, is necessary for culturally relevant conversations, but just using it, affirms it. Humankind is one race of people. All are created in the image of God. All are descendants of Adam and Noah. All are sinful. All can be saved by the sacrifice of one, Jesus Christ our Lord. Our identities are in Him. His grace and forgiveness, the transforming power of His Spirit, and His call to tell the Good News unify us to our sisters and brothers of all varieties as His people.
The importance of teaching the Bible within the reality of world history cannot be overstated. Perhaps part of the reason that the Bible is not a picture book is because God does not judge by the outward appearance. That one person has dark skin and another has light skin is just an expression of the variety of God’s creation. Skin color is no more important than eye or hair color, or height. These are trivial differences among people. Separating people prejudicially by appearance is ridiculous, as Dr. Seuss suggests in The Sneetches. Think it’s ridiculous that I would cite The Sneetches? Ridiculous is what I’m trying to illustrate! The trend to remove history from the Bible has been part of a greater assault on Scriptural inerrancy. We don’t need Satan to tempt us with the words, “Did God really say…?” Humankind’s desires for control over our own lives and the lives of others is all we need to twist the truths of the Bible to further our own agendas or limit the Bible’s applications to “just redemptive history.”
In our current image-oriented society, portraying the peoples of the Bible realistically, perhaps utilizing Bulger’s The Image of the Black in Western Art among other archeological sources, would go a long way to help Believers accurately picture people who would most likely be present in various Biblical accounts. Pictorial representations in children and adult material should be historically accurate. For example, picturing the black-skinned Cushites of Cush-controlled Egypt in the account of Hezekiah, or the white-skinned Celts of Galatia in contrast to the medium-brown skin tones that we assume in the Middle East, or the variety of skin tones in the group that Moses led out of Egypt and in the wilderness (including his black-skinned Cushite wife and the dark-skinned Phinehas) would demonstrate that people of all varieties were part of the Biblical narrative.
With regard to Moses’ Cushite wife, the author really wanted to suggest that Miriam and Aaron did not like her because she was black-skinned. Unfortunately, the evidence he cites does not support that conclusion and is inconsistent with the evidence from extrabiblical sources that “marriage between Blacks and other ethnic groups, especially Egyptians, was not all that unusual” (p. 74). He cited several reasons for this conflict, finally stating, “it is difficult to be certain about Miriam’s motives behind her opposition” (p. 76). So, to say that Miriam did not like Moses’ Cushite wife because she was black is speculation.
The author went to great efforts to illustrate that, through migration catalyzed by trade and war, many of the people groups living around the Mediterranean were in an ongoing state of change, as people arrived from “Africa, Britain, India, and even China” (p. 143). So, it would be difficult to define specific people groups by appearance. That God protected the ethnic and spiritual identity of the Jews, His vessel to carry His message to the world, was obvious in this context! Hays cited several sources that concluded that prejudices in the Greco-Roman world were not racially focused or defined. “The Greeks, Romans, and early Christians were free of…the curse of acute color consciousness.” (pp. 149-150)
What I’m trying to point out here, is that the concept of “race” as we know it, is not found in Biblical texts. When I am reading books and articles about “race” in the Bible, I look for how the author makes the transition between words like tribe, peoples, nations, and languages to the word “race.” For example, Hays discusses Galations 3:26-29:
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
He cites a source that equates Jew and Gentile with ethnicity, slave and free with economic capacity, and male and female with sexuality. Then he cites another source, Hove, who suggests the three couplets are merisms, meant to communicate universality. “There is no distinction in God’s people: no race, nation, class, or gender has favored status with God” (p. 186). The author apparently uses the concept of merism as an opportunity to insert a word/concept that wasn’t said into the text—race. In his defense, he does later say that “we applied [Galations 3:38] to today’s racial issue in the Church by way of analogy.” But he is preparing us for a leap.
The next text is Colossians 3:11:
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
The author now says that through the addition of the terms, barbarian and Scythian, “Paul is challenging the prevailing, commonly held, racially prejudiced view of the Greco-Roman world…” (p. 189). The author has already proven that race was not a source of prejudice in the early Christian world. In light of his previous efforts to describe physical appearance, he has also failed to describe the appearance of Scythians and barbarians in order to conclude that they are being judged by their physical appearance. (He states on p. 29, “…since the focus of this book is on racial issues, I have attempted to discuss the ethnic groups along broad racial lines: that is, focusing on the issue of physical appearance…”)
Of course, we can apply the concepts in the Galations and Colossians texts to our modern racial issues, but racial issues are not explicitly stated or implied in the text.
It may seem that I am being unreasonably picky, but race is simply not a Biblical concept. So, when the author concludes that “racial intermarriage is sanctioned by Scripture,” that intermarriage is scriptural is not the point. The point is that racial intermarriage does not exist in the first place! Humankind is one race of people. The concept of racial differences is a man-made sinful social construct that is not found in the Bible.
In our society, where we have a history of prejudice based on physical characteristics, it’s easy to project our racial paradigm into the Biblical text. I know the word, race, is necessary for culturally relevant conversations, but just using it, affirms it. Humankind is one race of people. All are created in the image of God. All are descendants of Adam and Noah. All are sinful. All can be saved by the sacrifice of one, Jesus Christ our Lord. Our identities are in Him. His grace and forgiveness, the transforming power of His Spirit, and His call to tell the Good News unify us to our sisters and brothers of all varieties as His people.
March 20, 2020
This is an excellent book. Hays traces the themes of race, ethnicity, and nationality from the Old Testament to the New. He pays particular focus on the nation of Cush (sometimes called Ethiopia) and shows how important it is to the biblical storyline. Cush represented Black Africa in an ancient mindset and provides a phenomenal example of how race relations should be conducted in the church today. From Moses black wife and Ebed-Melech in the Old to the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip's mission to the Samaritans in the New, this book covers a helpful and appropriate terrain. It answers really important questions about how people of different races can and should worship together, and also the question of interracial marriage -- this was especially helpful. I really learned a lot and am so glad I read this.
December 28, 2020
I found this book extremely helpful in grounding my theory of race in biblical theology. The historical context and exegesis were very insightful for me. I came away from it feeling very encouraged by God's heart for all people and the Biblical picture of humanity in Christ. The author pulled from his experiences with the white church as a white man in applying his theology of race to the American church. I think that this theology of race would more accurately speak to the issues of the American church more broadly if the perspectives in the book were also placed in conversation with the views of non-white American theologians. On the whole, I would recommend this book to anyone trying to gain a deeper understanding of how the Bible interacts with race/ ethnicity.
August 16, 2025
Explores several passages in depth that I have never considered much before.
I think its biggest biblical theological contribution is identifying a pattern of Cushites/Ethiopians as paradigmatic for the nations in the eschatological salvation. The Ethiopians eunuch is the capstone of this argument but there several OT points as well.
Pushes into application more than most in the series but not in an overly forced way.
I think its biggest biblical theological contribution is identifying a pattern of Cushites/Ethiopians as paradigmatic for the nations in the eschatological salvation. The Ethiopians eunuch is the capstone of this argument but there several OT points as well.
Pushes into application more than most in the series but not in an overly forced way.
Read
May 15, 2026Good book
- stuff on Genesis and Revelation good
- Don't always agree with his exegesis (Isaiah, Matthew)
- comes to basic but important conclusions on the inclusion of all people in God's kingdom
- Most interesting stuff on the presence of the Cushites (Black Africans) in the Bible, which was actually quite extensive
- stuff on Genesis and Revelation good
- Don't always agree with his exegesis (Isaiah, Matthew)
- comes to basic but important conclusions on the inclusion of all people in God's kingdom
- Most interesting stuff on the presence of the Cushites (Black Africans) in the Bible, which was actually quite extensive
September 12, 2020
Great. Provides a clear biblical theology of race and an emotional call to line our practice up with our theology.
Obviously aimed at the US church but definitely applicable to the tensions in the UK church.
Obviously aimed at the US church but definitely applicable to the tensions in the UK church.
September 6, 2020
3.75/5.00
September 16, 2019
A well researched & well presented work on ethnicity, the multi-ethnic dimensions inherent in the plan of God presented in the Bible. The major area the author focuses on in application is the racisim practised by the Church in America, he neither over-states nor under-states the problem. Although there as been much improvement in this area more work is needed. This can be a sensitive issue because there are so many other issues related to & touched by racism, & it can be difficult to work through political rantings & emotional grand standing. What is important is the clear communication of the Gospel & also ensuring that the church allows the transforming affects of the Gospel to change all of us.
April 17, 2024
J. Daniel Hays provides clarity to a controversial topic in modern Christianity. Scholars today have reached incorrect and sometimes racist conclusions regarding the history of blacks in biblical history simply because of their presuppositions. Hays dutifully explains the proper historical context and exegetes key terms to provide a clearer perspective of black history in the Bible. His practical implications influence how I think of the universal Church and will contribute to how I view corporate worship with believers of other races. Though I thought his discussion had a natural bent towards black history as opposed to racial history, I now have a greater appreciation for all races part of God’s redemptive plan and sharing in the image of God. The ethnic and racial tension that we experience in our society and in our churches should not be combatted with philosophical reason, but rather we should return to the Word of God which showcases God’s plan for every tribe, every language, every people, and every nation.
J. Daniel Hays maintains a Southern Baptist theological system which by his own admission has historically minimized discussion of race relations in history. Hays seeks here to “right the ship” and provide a fair assessment of race within Scripture with the aim to transform the modern-day Church. He even says, that “this division into ethnically based worshipping communities is contrary to the imperatives of Paul” (204-205) and by extension the rest of Scripture. For this work, Hays read the Scriptures with a hermeneutical presupposition that stated that race and ethnicity have been misconstrued to further the objectives of those reading the Scriptures. For those who owned slaves, they cited God’s curse upon Ham in Genesis 9 (54). For those who denied interracial marrying, they cited God’s command not to marry foreigners in Deuteronomy 7 (77). These passages and others, Hays explained, are misunderstood by the presupposition that says racial diversity is not part of God’s redemptive plan.
Hays seemed to accomplish his goal by carefully explaining that God’s intention is for his people to be racially diverse. He carefully evaluates and critiques the misunderstandings of commentators, by questioning how they came to their conclusions. For instance, several commentators assumed that black Cushites in the early monarchical period were slaves (91). Hays reasonably points out that though there were Cushite slaves, “this was true for all nationalities at that time…However, when people of other nationalities are mentioned in the Bible, no one declares that they were slaves just because their nationality is given” (91-92). He cites Uriah the Hittite as one example. “The quick jump, without evidence,” he says, “from the term ‘Cush’ to the notion of slavery probably reflects an unintentional subconscious connection between Blacks and slaves in the minds of some White scholars” (92). Additionally, Hays outlines clear passages and narratives that indicate God’s plan for all nations. He cites the genealogy of Jesus which includes foreigners (158). He cites the call in Acts 1:8 for the apostles to minister to the ends of the earth (175) and the subsequent conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. He also cites God’s eschatological plan in Revelation 7:9 (197). Not only was it God’s plan to bless foreign nations, but God demonstrated this blessing throughout Scripture.
At times Hays is provocative. When one commentator claimed that “their color…added to the grounds for despising him” in reference to the black skin of the Ethiopians, Hays called this “blatantly racist” (117). He used the same term to describe those that assumed “all significant cultural achievement in all African empires was brought about by a small group of White elite rulers” (40). Though at times, “racist” is an accurate description of these ideologies, at other times, this word is unnecessarily divisive. For example, when describing A.W. Pink’s commentary, Hays critiques Pink’s statement that “the Negroes who were for so long the slaves of Europeans and Americans also claim Ham as their progenitor” (53). Hays says this too is “a rather racist interpretation of the text” (54). Pink’s statement seeks connection between Africans and the descendants of Ham, a view many commentators held at that time. Hays’ exegesis was helpful in explaining that “Ham” could have meant “warm” or “wife’s father-in-law” and probably had little to do with race. My only critique here is that he should be careful not to overuse a divisive term such as “racist” on matters of subjectivity. Though I understand that Hays is writing from an American perspective that still recognizes our history of African American slavery, this book title misrepresented its focus. Instead of seeing this as a biblical theology of race, it seemed to be a biblical theology of black history. He emphasized the nation of Cush and Black Africa throughout while providing little discussion of other racial tensions until his discussion of Samaritans in Chapter 8.
Hays seemed to maintain a clear biblical theology without allowing an overarching systematic theology to influence the understanding of the text. This was aided by his structure which set clear boundaries for time periods and biblical books. His argument started with the Creation account, examined the Pentateuch, and then reviewed the Monarchical period and the prophets. He then entered into a discussion of the New Testament teachings of Jesus followed by the missional work of the apostles in Acts and then culminated his argument in the epistles of Paul and the End Times in Revelation. There was a logical flow of thought and progression to show that throughout the entire metanarrative of Scripture, racial diversity and fellowship were in the mind of God. He did not allow overarching systematic theologies to influence his arguments though he could have chosen to do so, especially in his third chapter which discussed the image of God. Rather than reviewing the systematic arguments for the image of God, Hays cited only the books of Genesis and Psalms to explain that “all people of all races are…created in the image of God” (50).
J. Daniel Hays maintains a Southern Baptist theological system which by his own admission has historically minimized discussion of race relations in history. Hays seeks here to “right the ship” and provide a fair assessment of race within Scripture with the aim to transform the modern-day Church. He even says, that “this division into ethnically based worshipping communities is contrary to the imperatives of Paul” (204-205) and by extension the rest of Scripture. For this work, Hays read the Scriptures with a hermeneutical presupposition that stated that race and ethnicity have been misconstrued to further the objectives of those reading the Scriptures. For those who owned slaves, they cited God’s curse upon Ham in Genesis 9 (54). For those who denied interracial marrying, they cited God’s command not to marry foreigners in Deuteronomy 7 (77). These passages and others, Hays explained, are misunderstood by the presupposition that says racial diversity is not part of God’s redemptive plan.
Hays seemed to accomplish his goal by carefully explaining that God’s intention is for his people to be racially diverse. He carefully evaluates and critiques the misunderstandings of commentators, by questioning how they came to their conclusions. For instance, several commentators assumed that black Cushites in the early monarchical period were slaves (91). Hays reasonably points out that though there were Cushite slaves, “this was true for all nationalities at that time…However, when people of other nationalities are mentioned in the Bible, no one declares that they were slaves just because their nationality is given” (91-92). He cites Uriah the Hittite as one example. “The quick jump, without evidence,” he says, “from the term ‘Cush’ to the notion of slavery probably reflects an unintentional subconscious connection between Blacks and slaves in the minds of some White scholars” (92). Additionally, Hays outlines clear passages and narratives that indicate God’s plan for all nations. He cites the genealogy of Jesus which includes foreigners (158). He cites the call in Acts 1:8 for the apostles to minister to the ends of the earth (175) and the subsequent conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. He also cites God’s eschatological plan in Revelation 7:9 (197). Not only was it God’s plan to bless foreign nations, but God demonstrated this blessing throughout Scripture.
At times Hays is provocative. When one commentator claimed that “their color…added to the grounds for despising him” in reference to the black skin of the Ethiopians, Hays called this “blatantly racist” (117). He used the same term to describe those that assumed “all significant cultural achievement in all African empires was brought about by a small group of White elite rulers” (40). Though at times, “racist” is an accurate description of these ideologies, at other times, this word is unnecessarily divisive. For example, when describing A.W. Pink’s commentary, Hays critiques Pink’s statement that “the Negroes who were for so long the slaves of Europeans and Americans also claim Ham as their progenitor” (53). Hays says this too is “a rather racist interpretation of the text” (54). Pink’s statement seeks connection between Africans and the descendants of Ham, a view many commentators held at that time. Hays’ exegesis was helpful in explaining that “Ham” could have meant “warm” or “wife’s father-in-law” and probably had little to do with race. My only critique here is that he should be careful not to overuse a divisive term such as “racist” on matters of subjectivity. Though I understand that Hays is writing from an American perspective that still recognizes our history of African American slavery, this book title misrepresented its focus. Instead of seeing this as a biblical theology of race, it seemed to be a biblical theology of black history. He emphasized the nation of Cush and Black Africa throughout while providing little discussion of other racial tensions until his discussion of Samaritans in Chapter 8.
Hays seemed to maintain a clear biblical theology without allowing an overarching systematic theology to influence the understanding of the text. This was aided by his structure which set clear boundaries for time periods and biblical books. His argument started with the Creation account, examined the Pentateuch, and then reviewed the Monarchical period and the prophets. He then entered into a discussion of the New Testament teachings of Jesus followed by the missional work of the apostles in Acts and then culminated his argument in the epistles of Paul and the End Times in Revelation. There was a logical flow of thought and progression to show that throughout the entire metanarrative of Scripture, racial diversity and fellowship were in the mind of God. He did not allow overarching systematic theologies to influence his arguments though he could have chosen to do so, especially in his third chapter which discussed the image of God. Rather than reviewing the systematic arguments for the image of God, Hays cited only the books of Genesis and Psalms to explain that “all people of all races are…created in the image of God” (50).
October 7, 2010
This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand not what the world teaches about race, but what does God reveal about His people through His word and His-story.
March 25, 2018
An important work for today's church. Though written with an eye on (white) American Evangelicalism, Hays' conclusions will challenge everyone who is ready to have their prejudices unearthed.
July 3, 2020
The context of this book is very good, I just wasn't the audience for it. I came in expecting a more in depth discussion on race (the covenant theology regarding the Abrahamic tradition of a covenant for all families, people and nations). What I got was a very particular exegetical work on the role of the Cushites in the narrative of Israel, the Prophets, Second Temple history, and the NT world.
The purpose of the book is clearly directed towards Christian communities who have used the Cushites to defend and enforce racism against POC's. As someone who has never and would never interpret the "Cushites" from this perspective, and as someone who has a hard time believing that this way of thinking still exists, the vast majority of the material here feels like it should be taken for granted. At the very least, I didn't need convincing of his argument, nor do I know anyone who needs convincing.
The sections I gained the most from, and which came the closest to representing what I had hoped for or expected from the read, were the first two chapters and the second two chapters. The way he outlines the Biblical narrative of Israel (leading out of Abraham) was both helpful and exciting. It's a reminder of how we have corrupted the idea of "nation", and of how we have arrived in history (and religious history) at a narrowing of race (moving from the exclusivity of nation to language (in the Reformation) to applying it to race and racial discrimination). Words that judge and challenge Israel can then aptly be applied to modern struggles with racism, even as the ancient worlds didn't distinguish based on the color of ones skin in the same way our modern world did and does.
The Abrahamic covenant on the other hand follow this line of development- Abraham literally means the "exalted father of the multitudes" or "all". This relates to being the father of all families and nations (which stems from Noah). The Noah narrative in itself stands as a repetition of the Garden narrative, in which one man leads to Cain (whom symbolizes all the nations). Noah leads to Abraham (symbolizing all the nations), which then gets whittled down to a single nation (Israel), which gets whittled down to a single family (David), which gets singled down to a single person (seed of David). Through one man then we are brought back to Adam and find the narrative once again moving from the New Adam to all the families and nations of the world. A theology of race then, especially as it fits into the multiracial, multi-ethnic, mixed nature of Israel itself, must be filtered through this narrative line as the necessary "vision" of God's Kingdom building.
I love the exploration of this aspect of Christianity, unfortunately the focus here remains quite narrow. If you happen to be someone who uses the Cushites to reenforce racism towards POC's, or know of someone who does, this would of course be a tremendous work to visit yourself or give to someone else.
The purpose of the book is clearly directed towards Christian communities who have used the Cushites to defend and enforce racism against POC's. As someone who has never and would never interpret the "Cushites" from this perspective, and as someone who has a hard time believing that this way of thinking still exists, the vast majority of the material here feels like it should be taken for granted. At the very least, I didn't need convincing of his argument, nor do I know anyone who needs convincing.
The sections I gained the most from, and which came the closest to representing what I had hoped for or expected from the read, were the first two chapters and the second two chapters. The way he outlines the Biblical narrative of Israel (leading out of Abraham) was both helpful and exciting. It's a reminder of how we have corrupted the idea of "nation", and of how we have arrived in history (and religious history) at a narrowing of race (moving from the exclusivity of nation to language (in the Reformation) to applying it to race and racial discrimination). Words that judge and challenge Israel can then aptly be applied to modern struggles with racism, even as the ancient worlds didn't distinguish based on the color of ones skin in the same way our modern world did and does.
The Abrahamic covenant on the other hand follow this line of development- Abraham literally means the "exalted father of the multitudes" or "all". This relates to being the father of all families and nations (which stems from Noah). The Noah narrative in itself stands as a repetition of the Garden narrative, in which one man leads to Cain (whom symbolizes all the nations). Noah leads to Abraham (symbolizing all the nations), which then gets whittled down to a single nation (Israel), which gets whittled down to a single family (David), which gets singled down to a single person (seed of David). Through one man then we are brought back to Adam and find the narrative once again moving from the New Adam to all the families and nations of the world. A theology of race then, especially as it fits into the multiracial, multi-ethnic, mixed nature of Israel itself, must be filtered through this narrative line as the necessary "vision" of God's Kingdom building.
I love the exploration of this aspect of Christianity, unfortunately the focus here remains quite narrow. If you happen to be someone who uses the Cushites to reenforce racism towards POC's, or know of someone who does, this would of course be a tremendous work to visit yourself or give to someone else.
April 12, 2020
When I first picked up this volume from the NSBT series, I was hoping that it would pull together the OT and NT texts concerning the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise of a blessing to all nations. I had been pulling together these texts in the New Testament for some time and was hoping to compare notes on how the Gentiles are brought into the New Covenant.
What I got in this volume "From Every People and Nation" is something very different from what I was expecting, but welcomed. It could better be titled "A Biblical Theology of the Cushites," but I believe such things are in the jurisdiction of the publisher rather than the author.
This is a powerful volume to address the White-Black race relations in the United States. J. Daniel Hays destroys the "curse on Ham" narrative, showing that it has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the Promised Land. He clearly connects Genesis 10 (the Table of Nations) to Genesis 12 (Promise to Abraham) showing that they form a unit. He then clarifies the laws regarding intermarriage with foreigners and shows how this plays out in Moses' marriage to a Cushite woman. I was surprised to learn of the meaning of Phinehas name in Egyptian and how the contrasts between the Midianites and the Cushites effects the understanding of the narrative.
Hays then traces the Cushite history (of which I knew nothing) through the histories and prophets. What a different impression knowing this history makes on reading the text and understanding who these people were. His explaination of Ebed-Melech and his interaction with Jeremiah is really great, especially when contrast with the Ethopian (eunuch).
In his New Testament section, I found particularly impactful his exposition of the parable of the Good Samaritan and his relating that to Black-White relations in the United States. By layering upon these thoughts the texts in the epistles addressing the unity and equality between the Jews, Greeks, and Barbarians, it becomes a powerful call to action today. White Christians need the rebuke Peter received from Paul for separating himself from the Gentiles during the feast. We need to see that racism and denying racial intermarriage is a denial of the New Humanity in Christ and the justification BY FAITH (not by ethnicity).
It seems as if the respective chapters are written so that they can be read separately, so there is some repetition in that respect. That is the only reason I did not give this 5 stars. I'd love to see this book gain a wider reading, particularly in the South.
What I got in this volume "From Every People and Nation" is something very different from what I was expecting, but welcomed. It could better be titled "A Biblical Theology of the Cushites," but I believe such things are in the jurisdiction of the publisher rather than the author.
This is a powerful volume to address the White-Black race relations in the United States. J. Daniel Hays destroys the "curse on Ham" narrative, showing that it has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the Promised Land. He clearly connects Genesis 10 (the Table of Nations) to Genesis 12 (Promise to Abraham) showing that they form a unit. He then clarifies the laws regarding intermarriage with foreigners and shows how this plays out in Moses' marriage to a Cushite woman. I was surprised to learn of the meaning of Phinehas name in Egyptian and how the contrasts between the Midianites and the Cushites effects the understanding of the narrative.
Hays then traces the Cushite history (of which I knew nothing) through the histories and prophets. What a different impression knowing this history makes on reading the text and understanding who these people were. His explaination of Ebed-Melech and his interaction with Jeremiah is really great, especially when contrast with the Ethopian (eunuch).
In his New Testament section, I found particularly impactful his exposition of the parable of the Good Samaritan and his relating that to Black-White relations in the United States. By layering upon these thoughts the texts in the epistles addressing the unity and equality between the Jews, Greeks, and Barbarians, it becomes a powerful call to action today. White Christians need the rebuke Peter received from Paul for separating himself from the Gentiles during the feast. We need to see that racism and denying racial intermarriage is a denial of the New Humanity in Christ and the justification BY FAITH (not by ethnicity).
It seems as if the respective chapters are written so that they can be read separately, so there is some repetition in that respect. That is the only reason I did not give this 5 stars. I'd love to see this book gain a wider reading, particularly in the South.
March 26, 2026
What I loved: This book is thoroughly researched and gives great backgrounds to the NT Greco-Roman world and Ancient Near East OT world that is simply appreciated. It at times makes a little too much of these historic backdrops, but nothing overreaching. The book is almost entirely worth buying for its commentary on Revelation; but the rest of the book has incredibly useful information. This would be a book I would challenge someone to read who is drifting into nationalistic/racial theologies and biases of the church.
My Criticisms: The book is not even handed in its criticisms of the church; at the beginning it notes that all ethnicities must face the problem, but as far as I noted the only serious criticisms were only of the White church. The author is white so I'm assuming he's mainly writing to call out some of the laxity from his experience in his church contexts. If you are from another background (black, white, asian, etc.) the personal application sections are mainly directed toward whites.
Overall: Despite my only personal criticism Hays I feel balances this book incredible well between theology and application. The book provides an amazing look on what influenced the Biblical characters prejudices and gives so much more texture to the Old and New Testament worlds that I am glad I will be able to spot and see now. The amount of research put into this will be constant resource for me when wanting to give theological takes on race. The book places you in the Bible's racial context and helps you better understand that the people of the Bible viewed race in a very different way than we did; yet Hays makes excellent bridges to show us that though these prejudices derive from different criteria, the outcome is all still the same and the heart issue is all still the same.
My Criticisms: The book is not even handed in its criticisms of the church; at the beginning it notes that all ethnicities must face the problem, but as far as I noted the only serious criticisms were only of the White church. The author is white so I'm assuming he's mainly writing to call out some of the laxity from his experience in his church contexts. If you are from another background (black, white, asian, etc.) the personal application sections are mainly directed toward whites.
Overall: Despite my only personal criticism Hays I feel balances this book incredible well between theology and application. The book provides an amazing look on what influenced the Biblical characters prejudices and gives so much more texture to the Old and New Testament worlds that I am glad I will be able to spot and see now. The amount of research put into this will be constant resource for me when wanting to give theological takes on race. The book places you in the Bible's racial context and helps you better understand that the people of the Bible viewed race in a very different way than we did; yet Hays makes excellent bridges to show us that though these prejudices derive from different criteria, the outcome is all still the same and the heart issue is all still the same.
July 11, 2021
Hays demonstrates that from Genesis onwards, the people of God have not only included people of many nations, but that that has been God’s plan. Especially fascinating is how he traces Genesis 10-12, showing that the table of nations preceding Babel and followed by God’s promise to Abram for all nations to be blessed through him demonstrates God’s plan. Allusions to Genesis 12:3 are found in the rest of Scripture as well.
Hays focuses his application on the White/Black divisions and sins in the American church, so he zooms in on Cushite relations, proving that Blacks have long been in the people of God (long before white people were!).
I grieved as I read when Hays quoted commentators who twisted Scripture, but was also encouraged to work to see people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation in the family of God, sharing the same Spirit.
I did not find this book particularly dense or difficult to read, and while he could have said much of it much faster, the background information is fascinating and he builds his case well almost all of the time (there is some speculation).
(One critique: Hays uses the adjective “Negroid” regularly, which appears to be an outdated anthropological term at best. The book was published in 2003 and most of the sources he draws on are older, but I’m still not sure about its use, though it seems that since he has support and help men like Dwight McKissac that it may not be as offensive as it seems to be.)
Hays focuses his application on the White/Black divisions and sins in the American church, so he zooms in on Cushite relations, proving that Blacks have long been in the people of God (long before white people were!).
I grieved as I read when Hays quoted commentators who twisted Scripture, but was also encouraged to work to see people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation in the family of God, sharing the same Spirit.
I did not find this book particularly dense or difficult to read, and while he could have said much of it much faster, the background information is fascinating and he builds his case well almost all of the time (there is some speculation).
(One critique: Hays uses the adjective “Negroid” regularly, which appears to be an outdated anthropological term at best. The book was published in 2003 and most of the sources he draws on are older, but I’m still not sure about its use, though it seems that since he has support and help men like Dwight McKissac that it may not be as offensive as it seems to be.)
April 28, 2022
Do the people in Scripture look like they do in the paintings of European artists? How much racial diversity is there in the Bible?
The main title, "From Every People and Nation" makes one think of the promise in Revelation that God will gather people from all languages and ethnicities around the world. The subtitle, "A Biblical Theology of Race" reveals the focus on race, aimed at the divide between black and white in American Christianity.
Author J. Daniel Hays points out the importance of the Cushites (also known as Ethiopians) throughout Scripture, going from Genesis to Revelation looking both at the mention of black Africans as well as the teachings on unity of God's people throughout the Bible. In addition, he deals with how commentators through the ages ignore the importance of the Cushites and often consider them slaves when the Biblical text doesn't state that.
This is the second book I've read in the series "New Studies in Biblical Theology", and I am hooked. I highly recommend this book, especially to confront some of the prejudice and racist interpretations of Scripture. For example, he makes it clear the Bible does not condemn inter-racial marriage - the only prohibitions deal with faith and religion, not on ethnicity.
The main title, "From Every People and Nation" makes one think of the promise in Revelation that God will gather people from all languages and ethnicities around the world. The subtitle, "A Biblical Theology of Race" reveals the focus on race, aimed at the divide between black and white in American Christianity.
Author J. Daniel Hays points out the importance of the Cushites (also known as Ethiopians) throughout Scripture, going from Genesis to Revelation looking both at the mention of black Africans as well as the teachings on unity of God's people throughout the Bible. In addition, he deals with how commentators through the ages ignore the importance of the Cushites and often consider them slaves when the Biblical text doesn't state that.
This is the second book I've read in the series "New Studies in Biblical Theology", and I am hooked. I highly recommend this book, especially to confront some of the prejudice and racist interpretations of Scripture. For example, he makes it clear the Bible does not condemn inter-racial marriage - the only prohibitions deal with faith and religion, not on ethnicity.
March 28, 2019
J. Daniel Hays’ From Every People and Nation presents an introduction to the Bible’s teaching on race from Genesis to Revelation. Genesis 10–12, in particular the Table of Nations, the Tower of Babel episode, and Yahweh’s promise to Abraham to bless the nations through him, serve as key passages for Hays’ interpretive approach. That is, he sees the Bible’s subsequent treatment of ethnicity as fulfillment of those initial passages. Hayes argues the Bible’s perspective on ethnic diversity is almost uniformly positive and that failure to see this perspective is often the result of interpreters importing their cultural pre-understanding into their interpretation of the text. Writing primarily for a North American audience, Hays cites specifically the example of how cultural pre-understanding has shaped—and often warped—both popular and scholarly interpretation with respect to the role of Black Africans in the biblical narrative. The example serves to exposes a common need for Westerners to become aware of their biases even as Hays makes the case for the Bible’s positive treatment of race generally.
June 17, 2021
Hays works from Genesis to revelation to trace the theme of the inclusion of all nations into God's redemptive plan. In the details, it is often a biblical theology of the Cushites, not of race, which is still a fruitful study. Hays is at his best when he is showing his extensive knowledge of the Cushite kingdoms and when he is tracing the racist assumptions in many commentators. His discussion of the so-called "curse of Ham" is one of the best I've seen. He traces many instances where commentators saw a Cushite solider and assumed the individual was a slave with no textual evidence.
The book's major flaw for me was a failure to define the term "race." He never acknowledges the "invention" of racial categories based on skin color long after the NT times. He moves fluidly between race and ethnicity, not noting the important distinction. This leads to some very shallow applications, which end up being mere calls to unity, and not commitments to justice and restitution.
The book's major flaw for me was a failure to define the term "race." He never acknowledges the "invention" of racial categories based on skin color long after the NT times. He moves fluidly between race and ethnicity, not noting the important distinction. This leads to some very shallow applications, which end up being mere calls to unity, and not commitments to justice and restitution.
April 2, 2022
Pretty good book. The title is a bit misleading as half the book is basically a historical overview of the Cushites but the last 3 chapters were really solid.
I’d say my favorite part of the book was the section on interracial marriage. The author makes awesome arguments from scripture showing that God not only allows but fully supports interracial marriage, including sticking up for Moses’ wife (who was Black) when she was being slandered. This is definitely something that needs to be radically de-stigmatized in the church today. This book was probably 50 pages longer than it needed to be but still a worthwhile use of time
I’d say my favorite part of the book was the section on interracial marriage. The author makes awesome arguments from scripture showing that God not only allows but fully supports interracial marriage, including sticking up for Moses’ wife (who was Black) when she was being slandered. This is definitely something that needs to be radically de-stigmatized in the church today. This book was probably 50 pages longer than it needed to be but still a worthwhile use of time
February 18, 2022
A biblical theology of race, tracing the theme of nations from Gen-Rev. The author notices that Western authors have had a tendency of downplaying the role of African nations in the story of redemption, despite them appearing frequently in the Bible (Cush, Ethiopia), so he puts a lot of emphasis on it—in my estimation, a little too much, but still was helpful. His work in the gospels and Acts I found to be the most helpful of all. There is nothing shocking or groundbreaking in the book, but just faithful exegesis, which is good.
December 14, 2023
A strong biblical-theology survey of the multi-ethnic nature of salvation. I thought the exploration of parallels between Ebed-Melech in Jeremiah and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 were fascinating and persuasive. Weak on a few other areas (no definition provided for "race" or "ethnicity," and only a sketchy discussion of what is even meant by those terms), but still a solid edition to the NSBT series.
June 24, 2020
I picked up this book hoping the author would address the much-debated question of whether "race" is a biblical category. Unfortunately, this was not Hays's concern. But what he does do throughout this book is valuable, and the applications he draws are important.
His writing is a little redundant at times, but this is a solid book worth reading.
His writing is a little redundant at times, but this is a solid book worth reading.
December 8, 2017
An academic work that I thought was a faithful and thorough approach, though I'm not sure it would be a very engaging read for the average reader.
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