I got all hot and bothered several months ago when I heard that Richard Hays (and his son Christopher) had finally published something reversing his silly Moral Vision of the New Testament chapter (published in 1996) in which he argued the Bible is against same-sex sexual…
What if you decided to love your child before you knew they were gay?
Dear parent, I’m writing today with a tough ask. I’m asking you not only to give a loving reception if your child “comes out” as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer. I’m asking you to imagine that day even if…
Analysis: What to expect from The Widening of God’s Mercy
It’s not every day a Christian leader has courage to change his mind on a theological position that risks reputation and social acceptance. But that is what New Testament scholar Richard Hays has done in a new book, written with…
Reflections on the Bible, Jay-Z and Trump: Can mixing politics and religion work for the culture?
Recently, I’ve been haunted by the number 444. This month in my Saturday improv class, I noticed 444 tattooed on a classmate’s arm. At my desk the next week, I felt compelled to check my phone, and it was 4:44….
The healing ‘heresy’ of Richard Hays
As an LGBTQ Christian, one of the realities that has perplexed me from the very beginning of my journey to reconcile my faith and my sexuality was the insistence of Christians, particularly Catholics and evangelicals, that our theologies of sexuality…
An oft-quoted biblical scholar changes his mind on LGBTQ inclusion in the church
Hang up your tweed jackets and lower your spectacles, people, something big just rattled all us scholarly types. Richard B. Hays has changed his mind on LGBTQ inclusion, and there are layers to this conversation. In 1996, Hays released Moral…
What I learned hearing 10 Baptist pastors talk about LGBTQ inclusion
Last Friday, I attended the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina’s 30th anniversary gathering at First Baptist Church of Greensboro, N.C. The theme of “thriving together” took on particular interest to me as a young seminarian because of one of…
What not to do if there are queer folks in your church (and there are)
There are queer folks in my church. I worship with them every Sunday. There are queer folks in your church too, whether you know it or not. That’s just how statistics work. More often than not, however, these beloved siblings…
In defense of DEI: 10 benefits of DEI in higher education
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in higher education are under attack around the country. Conservatives see these programs as purveyors of “wokeism” that limit free speech and teach discrimination, hate and divisiveness. I’ve spent my 37-year-career in higher education in…