From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race (New Studies in Biblical Theology) [Paperback]

J. Daniel Hays (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 12, 2003 | Series: New Studies in Biblical Theology (Book 14)

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language . . ." (Revelation 7:9). The visions in the book of Revelation give a glimpse of the people of God at the consummation of history--a multiethnic congregation gathered together in worship around God's throne. Its racial diversity is expressed in a fourfold formula that first appears in Genesis 10. The theme of race runs throughout Scripture, constantly pointing to the global and multiethnic dimensions inherent in the overarching plan of God. In response to the neglect of this theme in much evangelical biblical scholarship, J. Daniel Hays offers a thorough exegetical study. As well as focusing on texts which have a general bearing on race, Hays demonstrates that black Africans from Cush (Ethiopia) play an important role in both Old and New Testament history. This careful, nuanced analysis provides a clear theological foundation for life in contemporary multiracial cultures and challenges churches to pursue racial unity in Christ.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"J. Daniel Hays is able simultaneously to make us long for the new heaven and the new earth, when men and women from every tongue and tribe and people and nation will gather around the One who sits on the throne and the Lamb, and to make us blush with shame when we recognize afresh that already the church of Jesus Christ is to be an outpost in this fallen world of that consummated kingdom. This book deserves the widest circulation and the most thoughtful reading, for it corrects a fair bit of erroneous scholarship while calling Christians to reform sinful attitudes." (D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, Illinois) )

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (July 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830826165
• ISBN-13: 978-0830826162
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J. Daniel Hays (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary; PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies and professor of Old Testament at Ouachita Baptist University. He is the author of From Every People and Nation, and he has coauthored Grasping God's Word; Preaching God's Word; Journey into God's Word; The Story of Israel: A Biblical Theology; Iraq: Babylon of the End Times?; Apocalypse; and The Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy. He teaches adult Sunday school at his local church in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and preaches frequently throughout the nation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Awaiting and Simply Outstanding!, February 3, 2006

By 

Reddit Andrews, III (Soaring Oaks Presbyterian Church) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race (New Studies in Biblical Theology) (Paperback)

I praise God for Hayes' work! As an African American Pastor it is difficult to adequately express how breath taking I found Hayes' book. From Every People and Nation is a work that speaks powerfully and eloquently on what I judge to be the most important ecclesiastical issue of our generation! Is that an overstatemenet? I would argue that to have that reaction is to prove that it isn't. The evangelical Church on American soil will never amaze anyone and will hardly rise to the level of a city set on a hill, unless it confronts its racism on both sides of the black white divide.

From Every People and Nation is todate the finest work I've encountered on the subject. It is well written, evincing compelling exegesis of the relevant biblical texts and moves along redemptive historical lines. The conclusions Hayes draws are sober, sane, and sagacious. From Every People and Nation will long stand as in invaluable resource to any preacher, missionary, or Christian worker struggling for ways to formulate a thoughtful, relevant, theology of race in the postmodern era. It is a shot in the arm and invaluable suppliment to the many woefully inadequate biblical anthropologies and ecclesiologies of our day.

Oh, how I wish that this book would come to enjoy a wide circulation. It should be required reading in every seminary and bible college in the country!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New insights into the bible's teaching about race, July 6, 2004

By 

Gontroppo "Music and Theology Lover" (Bathurst, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race (New Studies in Biblical Theology) (Paperback)

This book will make you think. It may make some people angry, but when reading it, it is worth asking yourself if it is disturbing because the author is challenging the message of the bible, or challenging the way you have always understood what the bible says about race.

Some people may not like it because they want the bible to be racist.

Hays writes from personal expeirence of race issues, and has carefully researched the biblical corpus on this topic.

The New Studies in Biblical Theology series, edited by Don Carson, contains many terrific books, of which this is one of the most interesting that I have read, though I eagerly await the opportunity to delve into more of them.

At the tiem of writing there are 21 in the series, including several beauties from fair dinkum Aussie authors.

Another book that complements this one is Yamauchi's Africa and the Bible.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Much Needed discussion, October 12, 2009

By 

DarrenGJohnson "DarrenGJohnson" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: From Every People and Nation: A Biblical Theology of Race (New Studies in Biblical Theology) (Paperback)

This is a book about race and racism in the Church, particularly the American Church. Hayes finds that churches in the USA are racist and finds it a problem that churches are so segregated. I agree this should trouble us. I pastor a church in Georgia and we have no black people who attend our church. I once preached a sermon stating that all races will be worshiping together around God's throne and was, to my suprise, rebuked by a man (one who considers himself a Christian) who said that we do not want to get this race stuff started and that he did not want his white grand daughters marrying or dating any black guys who might come to the church.

The author primarily focuses on the black race and shows how they are mentioned and have a part in Biblical history. This study focuses on three words that we need so see as black people and they are Ethopians, Nubians, and Cushites. Hays clearly shows Cushites having a role in Scripture that is not often recognized. The point of this work is to show that a blended church that worships together should be our goal, because this is the worship of God's future.