Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 91 No. 2, 2021.
Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.53745/bs.91.2.9
Wisdom From Above. James's Understanding of Wisdom (Jas 1:5;3:13-18)
Stipo Kljajić
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The Epistle of James speaks about wisdom in two places, 1:5 and 3:13-18, whereby the second place is a kind of treatise on wisdom, although this whole New Testament book is embroidered with sapiential elements. By using primarily rhetoric and semantic analysis, the author focuses on those two places in James's epistle in order to cast light on James's understanding of wisdom, i.e., to try to discern what is wisdom for the writer of James's epistle, where does it come from, what it consists of, and what is its purpose. The first part discusses wisdom as a gift of God (Jas 1:5): wisdom is essentially related to temptations and faith, as discussed in the introductory part of the epistle (Jas 1:2-12), and one has to ask God for it with faith and without hesitation (1:5-8). Although this is not entirely evident, the relation between temptations, perseverance, and perfection in faith (1:2-12), on the one hand, and seeking wisdom from God (1:5-8), on the other hand, is not only literal but also essential: as one has to persevere in temptations and striving towards perfection without hesitation and doubting, so it is with seeking wisdom from God, whereby seeking is constantly in the state of temptation, consisting of thinking that one has already achieved wisdom. Those who lack wisdom, i.e., everybody, have to seek it from God - the only source of true wisdom - who will give it to those who seek with confidence and without doubt, because God »gives generously to all without finding fault« (1:5). In the second part of the article, the author analyses James's treatise on wisdom (Jas 3:13-18), i.e., his subtle differentiation between wisdom from above and wisdom from below. Criteria of wisdom and a precise description of characteristics of true (from above) and fake (from below) wisdom clearly point to what wisdom is for James, what it consists of, and what is its purpose, i.e., why is it so important for the harmonious life of the Christian community, i.e., for righteousness and peace. In his analysis, the author is paying special attention to unusual and sometimes unclear linguistic expressions used in James's epistle to describe these two mutually opposed wisdom - whereby wisdom from below is not a true but pseudo - wisdom - in order to cast light on James's discourse on wisdom, whose importance overshadows his work.
Ključne riječi
James's Epistle; wisdom from above; wisdom from below; criteria of wisdom; righteousness and peace.
Hrčak ID:
266284
URI
Datum izdavanja:
29.7.2021.
Posjeta: 1.076 *