The moral vision of the Bible: a New Testament approach

Abstract

The title given to this essay is that originally allocated by the organizers of the seminar in which it was presented, and it makes a deliberate allusion to the title of Richard Hays’ magnum opus The Moral Vision of the New Testament, sub-titled A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics. Indeed, Richard Hays was originally scheduled to present a paper under this title, but was un-fortunately prevented from doing so by illness. I mention these aspects of the essay’s Vorgeschichte because they are crucial to its aims and scope. My overall aim is to outline the methodological foundations for one approach to New Testament ethics, and to illustrate that approach in practice by drawing on my own collaborative work connecting biblical exegesis and ecological ethics. I begin by outlining the approach taken by Hays in his landmark work, in order to establish some of the key concerns central to discussing “the moral vision of the Bible,” and also to distinguish my own approach through a critical dialogue with Hays. After a discussion of Hays’ book, I present these constructive methodological proposals, before finally illustrating their practical application in ecological interpretation. It should, I hope, go without saying—and be clear from the tone of my discussion—that this engagement with Hays presumes the importance and value of his work, and engages this work in critical conversation precisely because of its significance. Hays’ work is also important as a benchmark for comparison because of the space it gives, unlike many works on New Testament ethics, to issues of methodology, hermeneutics, and con-temporary application.