Journal: Southeastern Theological Review
Volume: STR 14:1 (Spring 2023)
Article: A Theology Of Wealth From The Book Of James
Author: Robbie Booth

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A Theology Of Wealth From The Book Of James

Robbie Booth

Union Theological College, Belfast, Ireland

Abstract: Many cultures in the twenty-first century display a pervasive love of wealth. The poverty gap has widened, not only between rich and poor nations, but also among the citizens within those nations. As the world continues to reel from the economic fallout of the pandemic, it is vital that Christians reexamine what the Bible teaches about wealth. Arguably, no New Testament book speaks more directly to wealth and poverty than the book of James. This article will provide a summary interpretation and application of the poverty and wealth passages of James in light of the socio-economic context of the first century. The first section considers relevant background material including the social historical context. The second section concentrates on James’s most explicit passages on wealth: (1) 1:9–11; (2) 2:1–7, 8–9, 14–16; (3) 4:13–17; and (4) 5:1–6. The final section synthesizes five prominent theological themes from James’s teaching on wealth.

Key Words: economic divide, James, oppression, poor, poverty, rich, social historical context, wealth

Many cultures in the twenty-first century display a pervasive love of wealth. The poverty gap has widened, not only between rich and poor nations, but also among the citizens within those nations.1 Patrick Henry, a senior writer at the World Economic Forum, explains that the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine have only accelerated and exacerbated the disparity between the rich and the poor.2 Followers of Christ must turn to Scripture to discern how they should live in such a world, but where should they look? The book of James may be the best place to start, because as Ralph Martin has observed, “No [other] NT document … has such a socially sensitized conscience and so explicitly champions the cause of the economically disadvantaged, the victims of oppression or unjust

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wage agreements, and the poor who are seen in the widows and orphans who have no legal defender to speak up for their rights [as the book of James].”3 This article will provide a summary interpretation and application of the poverty and wealth...