Synoptica
The Epistle of James

This letter is remarkable in several ways. For one thing, It scarcely refers to Jesus or Christianity, and for another, it was very long in obtaining canonical recognition (apparently not until Origen). It is a more or less formless series of advice sayings (the technical term is paraenesis), but it is also in pretty good Greek, and at some points is claimed to show acquaintance with the terminology of Greek Stoicism. The letter does not claim to stem from James (properly, Jacob) the brother of Jesus. Eusebius still regarded that connection as dubious, and that possibility will not be debated. A consideration of the probable career of the Historical James will however be appended, for its relevance to the earliest church history.

Our chief interest is that if the Epistle is a combination of early and late material, the early portion may go back to the early days of the Galilean Churches, and with this point we begin.

• The Epistle
  • Outline and Analysis
  • Formal Parallels
  • An Accretional Theory of James
  • Scenario for the Extension of James
• James the Just
• James at Jerusalem
• The Other Brothers: Simon and Judas
• The Epistle of Jude
• Summary
  • The Epistle Core in Context

25 Sept 2006 / Contact The Project / Exit to Synoptica Page