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The Brother of Jesus: James the Just and His Mission (2001) is a volume edited by Bruce Chilton and Jacob Neusner.

Abstract

"James the Just was, in the time between Jesus' resurrection and James's death, the most prominent and widely respected leader in Christendom. These essays by eight renowned scholars address such issues as the Jewish context of the early church, the person of James, his literary message and mission, and James in relation to Peter and Paul."--Publisher description.

"The Brother of Jesus: James the Just and His Mission" offers an in-depth, multidisciplinary analysis of James, the brother of Jesus, and his pivotal role in the earliest days of Christianity. Edited by Bruce Chilton and Jacob Neusner, the collection presents essays that investigate James’s leadership of the Jerusalem church, his unique reputation as both a devout Jew and a foundational Christian figure, and his complex relationships with other apostolic leaders, including Peter and Paul. Drawing on a range of ancient sources—canonical and non-canonical scriptures, historical writings, and later ecclesiastical tradition—the authors reconstruct the historical context and theological ideas that shaped James’s mission. The volume highlights James’s influence on Jewish-Christian relations, the formation of Christian doctrine, and the definition of community boundaries, arguing that a deeper understanding of James is crucial to comprehending the transition from the Jesus movement within Judaism to the global Christian tradition. This scholarly work advances the study of Christian origins by emphasizing the centrality and distinctiveness of James’s role." (U-M GPT)

Editions and translations

Published in Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001.

Table of contents

• 1. Introduction: What is a Judaism? / Jacob Neusner
• 2. Who Was James? Footprints as a Means of Identification / John Painter
• 3. James's Message: The Literary Record / Peter H. Davids
• 4. The Mission of James in His Time / Wiard Popkes
• 5. James and Jesus / Richard Bauckham
• 6. James in Relation to Peter, Paul, and the Remembrance of Jesus
• 7. Comparing Judaisms: Qumranic, Rabbinic, and Jacobean Judaisms Compared / Craig A. Evans
• 8. Epilogue / Bruce Chilton
• Appendix: Eisenman's Gospel of James the Just: A Review / Robert M. Price

External links

• Google Books (partial text)