I had a feeling that when this book was published it would get national media attention. I was right; note the CNN article below.
“Almost three decades ago, Dr. Richard Hays, a United Methodist minister and the soon-to-be dean of Duke Divinity School, wrote what quickly became the go-to traditionalist Christian argument against same-sex marriage.” The Moral Vision of the New Testament is an excellent work and the sections on homosexuality soon became a go-to reference for those in the church who espoused the historical and orthodox understanding that scripture was clear that same-sex relationships and behavior were NOT in accordance in God’s will for humanity.
So it has become big news that Hays has changed his mind and published a new book The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story. CNN published a favorable article in the book, written by a gay man who works for CNN, and his positive conclusions are to be expected.
When I encounter a book like this I don’t normally want to spend my time reading a 300-page book, mostly to look for errors. I have too many really good and helpful books on my reading stack. So I look for a trusted source who has done a through book review and critique.
I could not have found a better one that the one linked below, by Rebecca McLaughlin. You many remember we have studied a couple of her book before. She is a Reformed Christian, holds a PhD from Cambridge, and is brilliant and articulate. She is also a person who struggled with her own same-sex attraction, so this is an important issue for her.
I encourage you to read her spot-on review. It will take you 5-10 minutes of careful reading. But let me simply point out two related observations she (and others) made.
1) Hays does not dispute his previous conclusions that the Bible clearly speaks against same-sex relationships and sexual behavior.
2) Hays is able to jettison his previous opinions because he “concluded that many religious conservatives, however well-intentioned, are wrong about the most essential point of theology: the character of God”.
Essentially Hays now believes that God can change his mind. We call that “Process Theology”, the idea that God is not perfect, not immutable or all-knowing, and is in ‘process’ of evolving, just as we are.
This is huge and a far greater problem than sex-sex issues. McLaughlin writes “What’s at stake here isn’t theological loose change, as if we can dispense with saying no to same-sex sex and keep the bigger-ticket items. What’s at stake is our understanding of who God is and how we can discern his will.”
If God can change his mind on same-sex relationships, God can change his mind on anything. And by the way, I have never read anyone who ever suggested that God changed God’s mind to something that they disagreed with – God always seems to change God’s mind to agree with them.
So do not be dismayed. It’s never good news when a theological ally changes sides and I have no doubt that this new book will become a central talking point for those who feel God blesses LGBTQ+ relationships and behavior. But for all Hays’ biblical and theological acumen, he is mistaken on a very foundational level. Don’t be fooled.
Pastor Al
Rebecca McLaughlin Review
CNN Article
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