James as a Diaspora Letter?: A Reconsideration of the Diaspora Letter Hypothesis

Azuma Yoshimi

doi:10.24758/jsnts.53.0_31

This paper examines the history of research that situates the epistle of James within the tradition of the so-called “Diaspora letters/Diasporabriefe,” Jewish and Christian letters written by an authoritative figure typically in Jerusalem and addressed to the Diaspora. The theories that associate James with Diaspora letters differ significantly in their details. The distinction should be made between studies that regard James as a genuine Diaspora letter and a fictional Diaspora letter, namely, a letter disguised as a Diaspora letter. Next, the examination of the Diaspora letters shows that these letters vary significantly in length and content and that there is no fixed preface. Finally, the exegesis of James 1:1 shows that author “James” is not necessarily the Lord’s brother and therefore is not presented as an authoritative figure in Jerusalem. “The twelve tribes in diaspora” refer to those who have Jewish identity and reside outside Palestine, including Christian Jews. In conclusion, in order to argue that the epistle of James is an encyclical addressed to Jews outside Palestine, it is unnecessary to resort to the dubious idea of the Diaspora letter. It is doubtful that when James was written, the genre of the Diaspora letter was known to both the author and the reader. It is unlikely that the epistle of James was written or fictionalized as a Diaspora letter. Instead, James is better understood as a circular letter, written by a Christian Jew to fellow Jews living outside of Palestine.

James as a Diaspora Letter?: A Reconsideration of the Diaspora Letter Hypothesis

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