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The Widening of God's Mercy
Sexuality Within the Biblical Story
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Christopher B Hays
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2024
About this book
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 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.
Topics
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Frontmatter
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Contents
vii -
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Acknowledgments
ix -
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Introduction
1 - Part I: The Widening of God’s Mercy in the Old Testament
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1 Widening Through Creation
25 -
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2 Mercy for God’s People
37 -
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3 Widening Justice
49 -
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4 “I Gave Them Statutes That Were Not Good”
61 -
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5 Widening the Borders
71 -
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6 “I Knew That You Are a Gracious God, and Merciful”
84 -
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7 “Besides Those Already Gathered”
95 - Part II: The Widening of God’s Mercy in the New Testament
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8 Jesus Upsets People
111 -
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9 Sabbath as a Time for Healing
122 -
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10 Mercy, Not Sacrifice
131 -
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11 Mercy to Foreigners and Outsiders
140 -
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12 The Holy Spirit Begins to Change the Church’s Mind
152 -
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13 The Conscripted Apostle
162 -
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14 “Who Was I That I Could Block God?”
168 -
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15 The Jerusalem Council
176 -
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16 Mercy All the Way Down
188 - III The Widening of God’s Mercy in the Present Day
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17 Moral Re-Vision
205 -
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Epilogue
222 -
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Notes
227 -
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General Index
249 -
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Index of Biblical References and Other Ancient Sources
261
Publishing information
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Available soon
eBook ISBN:
9780300280401
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
