The Letter of James provides an important message that challenges us as Christians to put faith into action. In this commentary Patrick Hartin provides a new translation of James that serves as the basis for a detailed explanation of the text. He shows that it is an important writing that sheds light and understanding onto the world of early Christianity. Section by section he provides essential and illuminating notes on the text and its content. This treatment culminates in an extensive explanation of the theological meaning of James within its own context as well as its application for today’s reader. A detailed bibliography follows each section enabling readers to pursue further interests. 0-8146-5816-4 Hardcover, 344 pp., 6 x 9, $39.95 Rights: World, English "An established authority on the Epistle of St. James, Professor Patrick J. Hartin offers a most comprehensive and yet lucid commentary on one of the most important writings in the New Testament canon, shrouded in its own mystery and conflicting interpretations. Hartin adapts an interdisciplinary approach to St. James. . . . By applying the insights of cultural studies and rhetorical argumentation, Hartin provides a persuasive case for a renewed attention to the Epistle of St. James as a paradigm for ‘spiritual perfection’ in the context of the holy liturgy revealing God as the ‘giver of all good gifts.’"