James

by Richard Bauckham

Richard Bauckham explores the different types of material included in the text and demonstrates how a close appreciation of these literary aspects can enhance understanding of the epistle.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, New Testament, Biblical Studies

ebook

First published April 22, 1999

About the author

Richard Bauckham (PhD, University of Cambridge) is senior scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge University, in Cambridge, England, where he teaches for the Cambridge Federation of Theological Colleges. He is also a visiting professor at St. Mellitus College, London, and emeritus professor of New Testament at the University of St. Andrews. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and the author of numerous books.

Reviews

[Shane Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

2022 reads: 12

Rating: 4.5 stars.

[Scott Bielinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by Kierkegaard, Bauckham’s book on James is a nice exercise in a chastened historical-critical method that still manages to read James as Christian Scripture in significant and substantive ways. His summaries of the historical and literary questions surrounding James were helpful and conciliatory where necessary. His discussions of the literary elements were constructive. The sections on James' various literary forms and their relationship with the Jewish wisdom tradition were fascinating and thorough (35-59). Bauckham strongly rebuts the widespread criticism that James lacks any structure though he also acknowledges that James' rhetorical strategy makes this criticism somewhat obsolete: "For James' communicative aim it is the construction of each discrete section as a rhetorical unit that matters" (67). Finally, his discussion of friendship in James as aligning with a value system was helpful and marks out how James intends the Christian community to mirror God's wholeness and perfection in their life (with His help).

Bauckham does make a few odd moves, though. To argue against James’ oft-assumed “low Christology,” he rightly argues that Paul and James are not far apart, Christologically speaking. And yet, by looking at a small sample size (Romans 12-13), Bauckham concludes that “it seems that early Christian paraenesis, even in Paul, generally lacked much Christological reference” (140). This ignores a swath of Paul’s writings (1 Thess 4: 1-12; Phil 2:5-11; Eph 4:32; 5:1-2) which have a clear Christological paraenetic referent (this is to say nothing of other early Christian literature). It is difficult to look at Paul's letters and not see how central Christ is to his ethical instruction. Bauckham’s discussion of James’ theology is also rather underdeveloped. While he rightly notes that so much of James’ ethics coheres in his idea of “divine perfection,” he takes a decidedly anti-metaphysical interpretation of this, interpreting this merely as God’s morally perfect will. Of course, James 1:5 and 17 have been foundational for doctrines like God’s aseity, simplicity, goodness, etc. These being left to the side results in a theologically thin treatment of James.

Bauckham's book is a clear, helpful, and interesting treatment of James that usefully surveys the critical questions surrounding James and shows how God intends to teach His church through James today.

[Ben Thurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful introduction to the New Testament letter of James, written with Bauckham's characteristic scholarship and thoughtfulness.

Things I appreciated or enjoyed about the work:
1) Bauckham provides a clear outline of James' structure that makes sense of both its nature as a seemingly loose compilation of wisdom sayings or topics and its epistolary frame.
2) There's rich discussion linking James' wisdom to that of other wisdom teachers (including Jesus) in the tradition.
3) Bauckham's engagement with Kierkegaard as a reader of James is super interesting and, frankly, fun.
4) There is no soft-pedalling of the demands of James' letter and its concern for wholeness and integrity expressed in honest speech and radical solidarity with the poor.

Things I was less impressed with:
1) Bauckham's a little question-begging on some matters relating to authorship and provenance of the letter.
2) The exhaustive outline of types of aphorisms and aphoristic sentences in James is not only exhaustive, but also a little exhausting.

[Jonas Opmeer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best prologue and epilogue of a commentary I’ve read. Contents were solid, super detailed. Not a verse-by-verse work.

[James Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have noticed that Bauckham’s writing usually brings out a unique point of view. He often draws attention to research that other writers do not mention. This book is not different in that regard.

His analysis defends James authorship of the letter from a very straight forward rationale.

The analysis of the structure of the letter is beneficial. The categorizing of the various aphorisms was tedious. The information concerning the diaspora including the so called lost tribes of Israel was enlightening. The applications at the end to current Christian engagement with the letter of James was excellent.

I also found myself reading some of Kierkegaard’s writing.

This book changes the way I understand and read the letter of James. I recommend this book.