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{en} Alan Saxby, James, Brother of Jesus, and the Jerusalem Church: A Radical Exploration of Christian Origins (Wipf and Stock, 2015)

Abstract

"James, Brother of Jesus, and the Jerusalem Church opens fresh ground in our understanding of Christian origins through an exploration of the role of James in the founding of the church. Based on the author's doctoral research, that first Christian church, with its roots in the Baptist movement, is shown to be part of the broad contemporary Judaic movement for the restoration of Israel. The events surrounding the death of Jesus (their leader's brother) both confirmed their commitment to Judaic reform and transformed their understanding of it. Despite the impact of that experience, they seem to have had neither knowledge nor interest in the teaching and ministry of Jesus in Galilee. Set in the world of James, this careful study of the difficulties and opportunities facing Judaic peasants in first-century Palestine proposes that James and his other brothers moved to Jerusalem (where work was available) several years before the final visit of Jesus and, under James's leadership, became the kernel of a growing group of followers of the Baptist that would later emerge onto the page of history as the Jerusalem Church."--Publisher description

"Alan Saxby’s James, Brother of Jesus, and the Jerusalem Church: A Radical Exploration of Christian Origins offers a reinterpretation of the role played by James the Just—Jesus’s brother—in the earliest days of Christianity. Challenging conventional narratives that focus on Peter and Paul, Saxby centers the Jerusalem church as the true foundation of the Christian movement, with James at its helm. Drawing on a wide range of biblical and historical sources, Saxby reconstructs a portrait of early Christianity as a deeply Jewish reform movement, rooted in the traditions, ethics, and practices of Second Temple Judaism ... Saxby explores the profound tensions between James and Paul, suggesting that Paul’s theological innovations and outreach to Gentiles marked a decisive departure from the movement’s original Jewish identity. The book investigates pivotal events such as the Jerusalem Council and examines shifts in leadership, doctrine, and community life that shaped Christianity’s separation from Judaism. Saxby proposes that the eclipse of James’s legacy led to the distortion of early Christian values and teachings, advocating for a reconsideration of his influence on social justice, communal living, and faith ... Accessible to both scholars and lay readers, this volume offers a radical re-examination of Christian origins and invites readers to rediscover the significance of James and the Jerusalem church for understanding Christianity's heritage."-- U-M GPT

About the Author

Alan Saxby is a retired Methodist minister, Counselor in Further Education, and Outdoor Pursuits Tutor. He earned his first degree in theology at Bristol University in 1964. Following retirement, he took the opportunity to conduct serious research in Christian origins, leading Sheffield University to award him a doctorate in 2013 for his thesis on James. Now in his late seventies, this is his first book.

External links

• [ Google Books]