Episode 192: James Revisited: Brandon Crowe on the Theology of the Letter of James

**James Revisited: Brandon Crowe on the Theology of the Letter of James** The letter of James has a reputation problem. Luther famously called it an "epistle of straw," and it's long been treated as the New Testament's odd cousin — a collection of practical maxims light on theology and hard to square with Paul on faith and works. In this episode, Chad sits down with Dr. Brandon Crowe, professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, to make the case that this neglect has cost the church one of Scripture's richest theological voices. Brandon and Chad work through his book *James Revisited: Christology and Biblical Theology in the Letter of James*, which reads the epistle not as an outlier but as a text deeply woven into the whole canon — one that refracts the Old Testament through the teaching of Jesus to call believers toward maturity. They discuss James's often-overlooked Christology, the perennial question of faith and works and how it relates to Paul, the place of the law for Christians (fulfilled in Christ yet still abiding), the kingdom of God, and the letter's themes of perfection, hypocrisy, and eschatology. Along the way they take up why the General Epistles as a whole tend to get sidelined, and what preachers and readers gain by giving James a fresh and careful hearing. < cite index="22-1">Rev. Dr. Brandon Crowe (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary and book review editor for the Westminster Theological Journal.</cite> < cite index="22-1">An ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, his research centers on biblical theology, the Gospels, and the General Epistles.</cite> He is the author of numerous books, including *The Last Adam*, *The Path of Faith*, and *Why Did Jesus Live a Perfect Life?* **Links:** - 🎙️ Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT - 🌐 A History of Christian Theology: https://www.ahistoryofchristiantheology.com - 📖 *James Revisited* (Westminster Bookstore): https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/james-revisited-christology-and-biblical-theology-in-the-letter-of-james-9781540971357 - 👤 Dr. Brandon Crowe at Westminster: https://faculty.wts.edu/faculty/crowe/ - 𝕏 Follow the podcast: @theologyxian | 📘 facebook.com/ahistoryofchristiantheology