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God in the Letter of James: Patron or Benefactor?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2004

ALICIA BATTEN
ALICIA BATTEN
Affiliation:
Department of Religion, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA 98447-0003, USA
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Abstract

This article joins recent studies of the letter of James in arguing that the ancient system of patronage aids in illuminating the social situation of this short text. However, unlike other authors, I suggest that God is not understood as a substitute patron in James, but as an ideal benefactor, on whom the audience must rely. Building on the work of Stephan Joubert and others, the article first offers evidence that patronage and benefaction were understood as different relationships in parts of the Roman Empire. Subsequently it focuses on sections of James in which patronage is criticized and God is portrayed as a frank friend and benefactor, consistent with the image of the ideal benefactor in antiquity.

Type
Research Article
Information
New Testament Studies , Volume 50 , Issue 2 , April 2004 , pp. 257 - 272
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

An earlier version of this paper was delivered at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, in November 2002.