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Introduction
the theological genius and broad theological interests of Paul. James’s letter “does not develop theories but reminds readers of accepted truths; it does not expound theology but exhorts to virtue.”95 In that sense, James is of course less “theological” than Paul. Moreover, Paul himself, at certain points and for specific purposes, can write much like James does. The closest parallel to the style of James in the NT is found in Rom 12:9–21, where Paul quickly touches on key components of the “sincere love” that believers are to exhibit. For the purposes he has at that point, Paul does not need to allude directly to the great doctrines that are taught elsewhere in Romans. This is the style that pervades all of James. And so the judgment of Johnson, while perhaps an overreaction in the other direction, is worth noting: “It is not far wrong to consider James one of the most ‘theological’ writings in the NT.”96 Furthermore, we must not minimize the contributions that James does make to certain specific topics of Christian theology. In addition to the obvious importance of his teaching about faith and works in their relationship to the believer’s final salvation, James also contributes significantly to our understanding of God, temptation, prayer, the law, wisdom, and eschatology. To be sure, all these arise in a practical context. But it will be a sad day for the church when such “practical divinity” is not considered “theology.” Therefore, while the brevity and specific purposes of the letter prevent us from sketching a “theology of James,” we are able to note briefly the contributions James makes to certain specific theological topics.
C. God If we use “theology” in its strictest sense—the doctrine of God—then James has a lot of theology. For he is very concerned to relate the kind of conduct he expects of his readers to the nature of God. Christians, James implies, are to live and act in full consciousness of the character of the God they serve. Hubert Frankemölle is not far off when he claims that the overarching theme of the letter is the nature of God and that James closely ties all his key concepts back to his understanding of God.97 95. L. T. Johnson, The Writings of the New Testament, 3rd ed. (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2010), 452. 96. Johnson, 85. 97. H. Frankemölle, “Das semantische Netz des Jakobusbriefes: Zur Einheit eines umstrittenen Briefes,” BZ 34 (1990): esp. 190–93.
