Patrick J. Hartin is an ordained priest of the Diocese of Spokane, Washington. He presently teaches courses in the New Testament and in Classical Civilizations at Gonzaga University. He is a contributor to Give Us This Day and the author of numerous books, published by Liturgical Press, including: A Spirituality of Perfection: Faith in Action in the Letter of James, James (Sacra Pagina series), James of Jerusalem: Heir to Jesus of Nazareth (Interfaces series), James, First Peter, Jude, Second Peter (New Collegeville Bible Commentary series), Apollos (Paul's Social Network series), and Exploring the Spirituality of the Gospels.

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

Hartin is the leading authority on the Epistle of James, and it is important that he gives us in this new work insight into his understanding of this often neglected New Testament text.James M. Robinson, Director, Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont Graduate University