RT Article
T1 Mercy triumphs over judgment: James as the social gospel
JF Review and expositor
VO 115
IS 3
SP 401
OP 406
A1 Flesher, LeAnn Snow
LA English
PB Sage
YR 2018
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1663825483
AB The pericope in Jas 2:14-17 has become iconic in our modern church culture. Although we quote from it regularly-"faith without works is dead"-we do not live it faithfully. In reimagining the body of Christ, the theme of this issue, it seems that the book of James and Luther's response to it reflect the tensions we live in today. We are a society with a legal system built off the ideology of retributive justice. We are a society that claims to be built on Christian principles, yet James points to a very different justice system. James 2:13 states that "Mercy triumphs over judgment!" Although James never condones breaking the law (2:10-11), he does encourage mercy in place of judgment (2:13), especially when engaging the poor. Luther called biblical James a "book of straw," as he touted his own mantra, sola fide, leaving us with a very significant dilemma. How should we understand saving faith? Does it simply require praying "the sinner's prayer and shaking the pastor's hand?" or ought it to be coupled with "works" becoming to one who has chosen to follow Jesus?
K1 James
K1 Luther
K1 Rauschenbusch
K1 Poverty
K1 Social Justice
K1 the poor
DO 10.1177/0034637318791562