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Introduction
that interpreters have too often thrust James into the mold of developed Christianity; however, on the other hand, I also think that some recent interpreters have pushed James too far toward the Jewish end of the spectrum. About the only authentic information about James’s viewpoint comes from the book of Acts. Here he is, to be sure, presented as an early leader keen to commend the Jesus movement to his Jewish compatriots (e.g., Acts 21:17– 25). But he is also presented as clashing with the Jewish authorities over the preaching of Jesus as Messiah (Acts 5:17–42?91) and as acknowledging the law- free evangelism of gentiles (Acts 11:1–18; 15:12–21). Of course, these texts say nothing about the status of the law among Jewish converts, nor do they give us much basis to construct James’s general theological outlook. Ultimately, then, it is the letter itself that must shape our overall view of James’s theology. Here, however, we enter into a bit of a circle: the specific wording of James must be used to construct his cognitive environment; but it is the cognitive environment that will often dictate how we interpret the specific wording. My own reading of James suggests that his thinking has been more significantly shifted from his original Jewish perspective toward certain distinctive Christian viewpoints than some recent interpreters think. Readers will have to see if we are able to make a case for this overall reading in the course of the comments below.92
B. James and “Theology” The stark assertion of Martin Dibelius has been echoed by many other scholars: “James has no theology.”93 The validity of this claim depends entirely on what 91. The reference in this passage to “the apostles” (vv. 18, 21, 26, 27, 29, 40, 41) indicates a wider group than in ch. 4, where Peter and John are singled out. We cannot be sure whether James the brother of the Lord was at this point included among the apostles. Luke first mentions him by name in Acts 12:17 (the commentators generally agree that this “James” is the brother of the Lord; see E. Schnabel, Acts, ZECNT [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012], 540). 92. In a brief survey, Craig Evans concludes that we find in the first century three types of Judaism. While having much in common, they also have distinct foci: like circles that overlap, but with different centers. “The Judaism of Qumran is focused on the renewal of the covenant, with great emphasis on cultic reform. The Judaism of the Rabbis is focused on studying and obeying the Torah, the key to life in this world and in the world to come. The Judaism of James is focused on faith and piety centered on Messiah Jesus” (“Comparing Judaisms: Qumranic, Rabbinic, and Jacobean Judaisms Compared,” in Chilton and Neusner, Brother of Jesus, 161–83 [182]). 93. Dibelius, 21.
