The Letter of James has been problematic right from the very beginning. In the first place it's not really a letter, it's a sermon. It was circulated around the Church the end of the first century, because it was thought to be worthy for instruction. Indeed it is. It has some notable epigrams, such as, "Be doers of the word, not hearers only," worthy of being embroidered into a sampler and put on your wall.

The main criticism of the letter from the beginning was that it is not like Paul's letters. Paul's letters dominate the New Testament. They have an enormous theological depth to them. In the eyes of some, not only does James not have that same kind of depth, but James, it is thought, might even contradict Paul, and Paul's main theme, "We are saved by our faith in God's grace alone." Wh…