James is a short book that creates a great deal of discussion among scholars. One interesting twist is that the book has some of the best Greek of the New Testament, implying an educated writer, perhaps a Roman citizen and a gentile. At the same time others argue that the extensive use of Hebrew Bible resources and limited mention of Christ make James a Jewish-Christian, or perhaps even a Jewish text. Still others point to James’ extensive use of Gospel themes, especially the beatitudes and the reversal promised to those who are poor and persecuted.

Related Links
James uses the Old Testament | The Beatitudes and James
Who Wrote James? | When was James Written? | Written To Whom?

These view points influence opinions on who wrote James, when and where, and to whom. More importantly, James world view influences our understanding of the meaning of the letter. James presumes the reader is familiar with many concepts; its teaching is more like a reminder of previous commitments than the introduction of a new ideas. Each different world view assumes different audiences, and thus different meanings for James’ ideas. Early studies for the first century meaning of the James lead to studies determined to find out whether James is more Jewish, more Christian, or more Greek.

Yet modern scholarship is beginning to doubt our ability to draw clear lines between these cultures. First century Judaism and the Hellenistic culture that colonized it are not as distinct as we once thought. And the line distinguishing early churches from first century synagogues may be different in each geographical regions. It is possible that the writer James was thoroughly Greek, thoroughly Christian, and thoroughly Jewish.

The argument that James was more Greek than Jewish was based on the language he uses in his letter. Basically, the argument was that a Palestinian Jew was unlikely to write using such fine Greek (P248). Therefore, the letter must be written outside Palestine, or have been translated at a later date from Aramaic into Greek. We have known for a long time that Jewish intellectuals produced extensive Greek literature in the diaspora (C17), but recent scholarship has shown ample evidence that Greek was used extensively in Palestine as well (C39). The historical evidence is that the various forms of Judaism were integrated in many ways with the many forms of Hellenistic culture. The dichotomy between Jewish and Hellenistic world view is false.

The image of dichotomy is an overly simplistic view of Jewish and Greek cultures. And it turns out that it is overly simplistic to speak of a single Jewish culture. First Century Judaism, like today, is an expression of a wide range of view points. Palestine was full of extreme legalists and radical zealots; there were educated leaders of society, poor peasants who rarely practiced their faith and religious (like the Essenes) who separated themselves from society. Some sects were Jews who followed the teachings of a Jewish leader, Jesus (C168).

The journey from Jewish sect to Christian Church was once thought to be straightforward and linear. We believed that early Jewish-Christian house churches gave way to Gentile converts and a Jerusalem centered Jewish sect became a European centered Christian Church. Modern scholarship describes a much more diversity in this transition. Cohen argues that some Christian communities did not cease to be Jewish until the fifth or sixth century CE (C168). Congregations in other locations, formed long before this, may not have ever been Jewish.

Christian communities varied dramatically based on where they were located and the demographic details of the early believers. Even our Biblical sources show us very different communities in Rome, Corinth, and Galatia, for example. Each of these communities attracted different people to Christianity. They split with their Jewish family and neighbors at different times, and probably over different issues. Some, like that of Luke, were concerned with issues of wealth and poverty, and included many gentiles. Some, like that of Matthew, stressed Jesus continuation of God’s promise to Israel, and may have been mostly Jewish.

The writer of James, even if written after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, seems unlikely to be concerned with the dichotomy of Jew and Christian, and unaware of our concerns with his fine Greek. It is likely that James knew himself to be a true Jew, and a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1).

Related Links
James uses the Old Testament | The Beatitudes and James
Who Wrote James? | When was James Written? | Written To Whom?

Resources (Link to full Bibliography for web site)
Shaye J. D. Cohen, From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Wayne A. Cohen, ed. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1987).

John Painter, Just James The Brother of Jesus in History and Tradition (Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1997).