Richard B. Hays, the former dean and George Washington Ivey Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Duke Divinity School, has died at the age of 76 from pancreatic cancer.
 
Hays was internationally recognized for his work on the Gospels, the letters of Paul, and on New Testament ethics. His scholarly work bridged the disciplines of biblical criticism and literary studies, and he consistently sought to demonstrate how close reading of the New Testament can inform the church’s theological reflection, proclamation, and ministry.

His book The Moral Vision of the New Testament (HarperSanFrancisco) was selected by Christianity Today as one of the 100 most important religious books of the twentieth century. His most recent book (co-authored with his son, Christopher B. Hays, a professor of Old Testament), was The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story (Yale University Press). In 2022, the British Academy awarded him the Burkitt Medal for distinction in biblical studies.
 
“Richard was an influential scholar, educator, and leader who shaped theological education and practice both here at Duke and far beyond our campus,” said Duke University President Vincent E. Price. “I extend my sincere condolences to Richard’s wife, Judy, and their children, as well as to the many friends, colleagues, and students who benefited from Richard’s presence in their lives.” 

Contributions to Duke

Hays earned his B.A. and M.Div. degrees at Yale and his Ph.D. at Emory. He taught at Yale Divinity School for 10 years before joining the faculty at Duke in 1991, and he soon added a love of Duke basketball to his love of teaching Duke students. He attended countless games at Cameron Indoor Stadium to cheer for his beloved Blue Devils, and he taught thousands of graduate students and supervised scores of doctoral projects.
 
In 2010, Hays was appointed to the deanship of the Divinity School, which he held until resigning in 2015 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His treatment was successful, and he returned to the classroom to teach a final semester before retiring in 2018. 
 
As dean, Hays invested in interdisciplinary initiatives including Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts (DITA) and the Theology, Medicine, and Culture (TMC) initiative. He participated in the Duke-Cambridge Consultation, a four-year interdisciplinary theology and arts collaboration between Duke and Cambridge Universities that culminated in commissioning a new “St. Luke Passion” by the acclaimed Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan, with the U.S. premiere held in Duke Chapel.