Date

4-29-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)

Chair

Robert Greer

Keywords

James, Paul, Robert Eisenman, Lordship Salvation, Faith, Works, Bible, Salvation, Conservative, Forensic, Investigation

Disciplines

Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

This dissertation investigates whether the Epistle of James presents a fundamentally different gospel from Pauline theology, a claim advanced by Robert Eisenman and other scholars who portray James as the leader of a rigorist, non-resurrectional, sectarian movement. The study employs a forensic investigative model shaped by the researcher’s experience as a police officer, combining historical-grammatical exegesis of James with analysis of key New Testament texts, early Christian witnesses such as Eusebius and Hegesippus, and modern scholarship on James, Paul, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The research concludes that James does not oppose Paul but complements him. James 2:14–26 rejects a “dead” faith of mere profession rather than teaching works-based salvation, while James’s high Christology, eschatological hope, and implicit resurrection faith stand at odds with Eisenman’s reconstruction. The letter assumes God’s prior act of new birth and insists that genuine faith necessarily issues in obedience, mercy, and steadfastness under trial. Methodologically, the project demonstrates that a disciplined, evidence-driven approach can expose the speculative character of alternative gospels grounded in late or hypothetical sources and can clarify James’s place within the canonical witness. The findings underscore that James and Paul together affirm salvation by grace through faith, while guarding against antinomian distortions by insisting that justifying faith is never fruitless.

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