Reading with the Grain of Scripture

by Richard B. Hays

Christianity Today Book Award in Biblical Studies (2021) “All these essays illustrate, in one way or another, how I have sought to carry out scholarly work as an aspect of discipleship—as a process of faith seeking exegetical clarity.” 

Richard Hays has been a giant in the field of New Testament studies since the 1989 publication of his Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. His most significant essays of the past twenty-five years are now collected in this volume, representing the full fruition of major themes from his body of  

the importance of narrative as the “glue” that holds the Bible togetherthe figural coherence between the Old and New Testamentsthe centrality of the resurrection of Jesusthe hope for New Creation and God’s eschatological transformation of the worldthe importance of standing in trusting humility before the textthe significance of reading Scripture within and for the community of faithReaders will find themselves guided toward Hays’s “hermeneutic of trust” rather than the “hermeneutic of suspicion” that has loomed large in recent biblical studies.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christian, New Testament

626 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2020

About the author

Richard Bevan Hays was an American New Testament scholar and George Washington Ivey Professor Emeritus of New Testament Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He was an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church.

Reviews

[David Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I anticipated a book more along the lines of his echo of scripture books. Maybe he found the need to defend his historical and theological positions more broadly in the face of his previous intertextual works? Thus, I found myself craving the grains of intertextual reading, only to find myself within the grains of theological and methodological frameworks by which we read Scripture.
Maybe, realizing his intent, I may reread the book for its intended purpose…maybe.

[Matt Quintana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a bitter-sweet experience with "Reading with the Grain of Scripture." I was continually shifting between audible "Amen's" to visibly cringing. At points, I found Hays's work to be extremely insightful; at others, I was convinced that he was reading "AGAINST the grain" of the text.

My biggest frustration with Hays's work overall is that though he often perceptively notes intertextual phenomena in the NT, he pays little attention to source in its original OT context. This leads him to conclude that a messianic/eschatological interpretation of these texts is purely retrospective. However, recent scholarship is increasingly testifying that there are intertextual and compositional strategies at play in the canonical form of the Hebrew Bible, which result in a final form of the OT Scriptures that is inherently messianic and eschatological—not just in hindsight, but prospectively, prior to the formation of the NT. Studies of inner-biblical exegesis and intertextual strategy within the HB are on the cutting edge of OT scholarship, and so it was unfortunate for the topic to be neglected altogether by Hays. Many would argue that the NT authors are not merely reading in christological hindsight, but are indeed carrying on the textual strategies found in the canonical text of the HB.

However, despite my fluctuation between full-blown agreement and flat-out disparity, I was captivated by Hays's writing. I did glean a lot from this work as I was also forced to think critically about my own positions. I enjoyed the autobiographical aspects of the introduction and conclusion, and found the epilogue to be especially moving. Richard Hays has established himself as a preeminent NT scholar, and this book is a fitting capstone to his teaching and writing career. "Reading with the Grain of Scripture" is definitely worth engaging, even when disagreement on some points is certain.

[Jed Sanford · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Reading with the Grain of Scripture, renowned New Testament scholar Richard Hays presents a collection of some of his best essays from over the course of his career, covering a wide variety of topics: how to interpret Scripture, the question of the "historical Jesus," the meaning of Paul's epistles, and various aspects of New Testament theology. In his own words, the major themes linking these essays together are: "the importance of narrative as the "glue" that holds the Bible together, the retrospectively discerned figural coherence between the Old Testament and the New, the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus, the hope for new creation and God's eschatological transformation of the world, the importance of standing in trusting humility before the text, and the importance of reading Scripture within and for the community of faith."

Hays's essays are full of fascinating (sometimes controversial) insights into the meaning of biblical texts, as well as deep, rich reflections on the relationship between historical study, theology, and biblical interpretation (As a big fan of N.T. Wright's work on the historical Jesus, I found Hays's critique of Wright's methodology particularly thought-provoking). Hays's combination of responsible historical scholarship and a "hermeneutic of trust" is a breath of fresh air in a culture where a "hermeneutic of suspicion" so often derails attempts to truly hear the message of Scripture and have it guide the church today. I would definitely recommend this book to any Christian of a more academic/intellectual bent who wants to deepen their understanding of the meaning of the New Testament.

[Greg Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays by New Testament scholar Richard Hays. I've been a fan of him since I read his book The Moral Vision of the New Testament. As you might expect, these essays touch on many of the themes he is known for, e.g. the New Testament's "intertextual" interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures, reading Scripture in the light of Christian tradition, etc. Many would probably find some of these essays too technical (due to their biblical Greek and Hebrew references). For me, I thought the essays were fine and often thought-provoking. But I wasn't really "wow'ed" by the collection (hence, the three star review). It really just made me want to re-read his The Moral Vision of the New Testament, which really affected me when I read it. So maybe I'll go do that now :-)

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recently retired NT professor and Dean at Duke Divinity School has gathered together previously published essays and scholarly presentations that reflect his life work as a NT scholar. The twenty-one essays are organized under four categories: interpretation, historical Jesus, Paul, and New Testament Theology. The chapters cover a wide variety of issues and concerns and give us a good sense of what I would call moderate Protestant biblical scholarship. Though not in agreement on every issue, Hays aligns himself to a great degree with N.T. Wright. This should prove useful to many, though I'm not sure of its overall use for preachers and non-specialists.

[Tim Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent NT Theologian / Scripture commentator collected this anthology and it serves as a kind of "smorgasbord" for those who want some MACRO and MICRO examples of his consideration of the unity of Scripture is paramount. A fine Ecumenical and broad thinker whose impact is ongoing from his impact as a Professor at Duke School of Divinity (Duke University, NC). 5 * for this anthology.

[Jamey Yadon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to many of the themes in Richard Hays' work. If you're a pastor, this would be a good one to read. Hays has had a big impact on New Testament scholarship. He's also a great example of how you don't have to set aside your faith while you do serious study.

[Matthew Ulven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series of thoughtful essays on reading, interpreting, and understanding Scripture from when it was written to what Scripture tells us today

[Neil White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard B. Hays is a phenomenal interpreter of scripture and a provocative thinker whose writing illustrates an interpreter shaped by the God he meets in those scriptures . This collection of essays from across his career as a teacher and writer shows his dialogues with other theological voices in the academic study of the New Testament and in combination with his Moral Vision of the New Testament provides an ethical and theological reading of scripture. My preaching and writing has been heavily influenced by Hays' writings over the last twenty years and each new volume has always allowed me to hear some portion of scripture in a new light. This is a book to read slowly and to savor, to reenter into dialogue with frequently as one continues to engage the scriptures. Full review at https://signoftherose.org/2020/12/17/...