LE3 .A278 2012

2012

Evans, Craig

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Theology

Acadia Divinity College

In this thesis I address a problem that has vexed interpreters and theologians for centuries, the question of how to reconcile James and Paul. The two biblical writers make what appear to be contradictory statements about justification. James argues that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). Paul’s claim is apparently the opposite of James’: “We know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ”1 (Gal. 2:16). Can the two be brought together? Many interpreters have contended that they are in irresolvable tension. Others have attempted to harmonize them by suggesting they are addressing different questions. I do not imagine that I can resolve the problem, but I believe it is possible to shed some new light on it. In this thesis I attempt to gain a fuller understanding of James by looking at his soteriology in light of the results of recent studies in Pauline theology. My thesis unfolds in five chapters. The first chapter introduces the problem of James and Paul through a historical survey of the church’s handling of the two writers’ statements. The second chapter describes the context and meaning of the highly important doctrine of justification in James and Paul. The third chapter explores the meaning of “works” and “works of the Law,” especially in light of new discoveries about ancient Judaism. The fourth chapter explores what is meant by the words “faith of Jesus Christ,” words which are key in the interpretation of James and, according to many interpreters, Paul. Finally, the fifth chapter offers a rereading of James 1–2 in light of what is been examined in the preceding chapters. It is my hope that the rereading in this 1 NRSV notes “faith of Jesus Christ” as an alternative translation. This interpretative issue will be a key element in my thesis. Unless otherwise noted, I use the NRSV for biblical citations. James and Paul 2 final chapter will offer us a more coherent James who can stand comfortably in the same canon as Paul.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:245