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

"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 The Tearing of the Temple Curtain, 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.