Abstract
Part of the ‘Resources for Biblical Study’ series from SBL Press, Reading the Epistle of James introduces the major critical issues in the study of James. The editors have assembled a group of accomplished authors to discuss the recent trends of contemporary scholarship.
The book’s first section discusses the sources and backgrounds behind James. In ‘James and Jesus Traditions,’ Richard Bauckham argues that James is a re-expression of the sayings of Jesus, with the author acting as a sage like Ben Sira. Next, ‘Use of Biblical and Other Jewish Traditions of James,’ written by Eric Mason, discusses the Jewish background of James, especially the example of Abraham. In ‘The Letter of James and Hellenistic Philosophy,’ Matt Jackson-McCabe discusses how James reflects a fusion of Judean and Greek culture, especially emphasising its dichotomy between logos and desire. In ‘James in the Context of Jewish Wisdom Literature,’ Benjamin Wold discusses how James reflects the influence of eschatology on post-biblical Jewish sapiential traditions.
The second section of the book discusses the genre and structure of James. In ‘The Genre of James,’ Luke L. Cheung and Kelvin C. L. Yu make the case that James fits the category of diaspora letter while including elements of wisdom literature. In ‘The Rhetorical Composition of the Epistle of James,’ Duane F. Watson argues that James contains both Jewish and Greco-Roman rhetoric, with paraenetic material and diatribe.
The theology of James is discussed in the third section. Peter H. Davids, in ‘The Good God and the Reigning Lord,’ discusses how James has a ‘binitarian’ theology, discussing the Father and Jesus without mention of the Spirit. In ‘Salvation in James,’ Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn writes that James presents the full story of salvation, from initial birth to new creation. In ‘The Devil and Demons in the Epistle of James,’ Ryan E. Stokes argues that James takes a middling view between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, while presenting demonology the devil and demons as enemies of God. Scot McKnight, in ‘Poverty, Riches, and God’s Blessings,’ argues James is like the prophets, connecting obedience to God and material possessions. In ‘Reading James and the Social Sciences,’ Alicia J. Batten advocates for a social-science vantage point for reading James, highlighting how the study of Mediterranean patronage, shame, gender, and the rich/poor can illuminate the epistle. Elsa Tamez, in ‘Don’t Conform Yourselves to the Values of the Empire,’ presents a post-colonial perspective, highlighting how James urges its recipients to eschew the ways of the majority culture. In ‘Textual Criticism and the Editio Critica Maior of James,’ Peter J. Gurry and Tommy Wasserman explain how the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method has revealed some significant textual witnesses in James, exemplified by the text of 2:3.
The volume’s final section examines the reception of the epistle. In ‘James “the brother of the Lord” and the Epistle of James,’ John Painter discusses the historical James and the other siblings of Jesus, arguing that the epistle’s author was a Greek-speaking diaspora Jew who adapted James’ teachings. In ‘Use, Authority, and the Canonical Status of James in the Earliest Church,’ Darian R. Lockett discusses the reception history of James through the end of the fourth century, presenting evidence from Christian documents, canon lists, and papyrus manuscripts. Finally, in ‘Salvation, the Church, and Social Teaching,’ Stephen J. Chester presents the differing historical views of Luther, Erasmus, and the medieval Catholic Church on justification and the place of deeds in James 2.
The authors and editors are to be commended for this volume that covers issues from authorship to the background of James. While they represent different traditions and viewpoints on the epistle, the essays offer solid points of departure for readers to engage in the study of the epistle. This is a book that should be welcome for serious study in the classroom and the church.