A Spirituality of Perfection

by Hartin, Patrick J.

• ISBN13: 9780814658956
• ISBN10: 0814658954
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-03-01
• Publisher: Michael Glazier

Summary

Throughout this century the Letter of James has been viewed consistently as a disjointed set of instructions. Father Hartin deviates radically from this approach. He shows that the "call for perfection" provides a unifying meaning for the letter. Examining the concept of perfection against the background of the Greco-Roman world, the Old Testament, and the Septuagint, the author shows that perfection provides a key to define the spirituality of the Letter of James. It offers an understanding of God and of the way one is called "to be in the world." Hartin adopts a fresh approach toward understanding the categories of wisdom, eschatology, and apocalyptic as they illuminate the letter's advice.

Author Biography

Fr. Patrick J. Hartin, D.Th. teaches New Testament at Gonzaga University in Spokane.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
A Call to Perfection	p. 1
Approaches to the Letter of James	p. 1
Aim of This Study	p. 8
A Spirituality of Perfection?	p. 11
An Overview of the Concept of Perfection in the Ancient World as a Background to the Letter of James	p. 17
The Concept of Perfection in the Classical Greek World	p. 17
The Distinctive Idea of Perfection in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Septuagint	p. 22
The Concept of Perfection in the Wider World of Second Temple Judaism	p. 26
An Overview of the Concept of Perfection in the New Testament	p. 32
Conclusion	p. 38
The Nature and Purpose of the Letter of James	p. 41
The Importance of Genre	p. 41
Practical Wisdom Advice	p. 42
The Paraenetic or Protreptic Nature of This Wisdom Advice	p. 45
Instructions for a New Social Order	p. 49
The Function of the Eschatological in the Letter	p. 51
Conclusion	p. 55
Faith Perfected through Works: A Context for the Moral Instructions in the Letter of James	p. 57
Importance of Perfection in the Letter of James	p. 57
In the Tradition of the Biblical Understanding of Perfection	p. 58
Call to Perfection through Enduring Trials	p. 60
Wisdom as the Horizon for Attaining Perfection	p. 65
Perfection and the Law	p. 78
Faith Perfected through Works (2:22)	p. 85
Conclusion	p. 89
A Spirituality of Authentic Perfection	p. 93
What Constitutes Spirituality?	p. 93
Faith	p. 95
Faith in Action	p. 101
Conclusion: A Spirituality of Authentic Perfection	p. 124
Perfection in the Letter of James and the Sermon on the Mount	p. 129
The Call to Perfection in the Letter of James and the Sermon on the Mount	p. 129
Perfection as the Hallmark of the Christian Life	p. 138
The Call to Be Perfect and to Imitate God	p. 140
Implications for Understanding the Emerging Traditions of Early Christianity	p. 144
On Reading James Today	p. 149
Introduction	p. 149
The Practice of Authentic Christian Existence	p. 151
Challenge Addressed to Christian Communities Today	p. 161
Bibliography	p. 171
Index of Scripture References	p. 184
Index of Subjects	p. 188
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