The Tearing of the Temple Curtain: Rediscovering Its Cultural, Historical, and Theological Contexts - Paperback

by Adam W. Jones (Author), J. Daniel Hays (Author)

"And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split."--Matthew 27:51

Many believe that the tearing of the temple curtain means that Jesus's death gave us direct access to God. But this idea is not obvious in the Gospels themselves. What if there is a better explanation?

In this book, Adam W. Jones and J. Daniel Hays argue that God the Father tore the curtain of the temple as an act of mourning over his Son's death. This interpretation has been neglected, though it has ancient precedent. In Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures, tearing clothes was a common expression of grief. And early Christian interpreters often linked this custom to the tearing of the temple curtain.

The Tearing of the Temple Curtain provides insights on ancient culture, God, grief, and how we approach Good Friday.

Back Jacket

"This will (and should) change the way you read the crucifixion narratives."

This book argues that God the Father tore the curtain of the temple as an act of mourning over his Son's death, offering insights on ancient culture, God, grief, and how we approach Good Friday.

"A compelling and carefully argued case that the tearing of the temple curtain at Jesus's death is best understood as God grieving and mourning the loss of his Son. Drawing on wide-ranging evidence from Jewish and Greco-Roman literature, Jones and Hays demonstrate convincingly that first-century audiences would have recognized this immediately, even if modern Western readers have lost that cultural instinct. While the scholarship is rigorous, the book remains accessible to pastors and laypeople alike. This will (and should) change the way you read the crucifixion narratives."
--Joseph R. Dodson, Denver Seminary

"A cogent and convincing case that the primary analogy behind the tearing of the temple curtain at Jesus's death is the tearing of one's garments as an expression of sorrow. Future exegetes will need to take into account this important study and its implications for the doctrine of the impassibility of God."
--Mark L. Strauss, Bethel Seminary of Bethel University (emeritus)

"Jones and Hays dive into the Gospel texts, the history of interpretation, the cultural context of the ancient world, and biblical theology to show us something deep--the grief of a loving Father, revealed in the tearing of the temple curtain. Their careful exegesis and their accessible use of detailed historical evidence serve the curious reader well."
--Ruth Anne Reese, Asbury Theological Seminary

"Some interpretations take on a popular life of their own and need thoughtful pushback from solid biblical studies research. Such is the idea that the tearing of the temple veil at the death of Jesus connotes entrance to the presence of God, a case of right theology being argued from the wrong text. This compelling counter-interpretation is both thoroughly researched and cogently argued."
--George H. Guthrie, Regent College

Author Biography

Adam W. Jones (PhD, London School of Theology / Middlesex University) is assistant professor of biblical studies at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

J. Daniel Hays (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor emeritus of biblical studies at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and teaches at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.