This dissertation attempts to answer two questions. First, what is the social function of the letter of James? Second, how does James design the structure of the text to align with its communicative goal? This study presumes the letter of James as a member of ancient wisdom literature. Contrary to common (mis)understandings, ancient wisdom literature shows a general tendency in its composition. A legitimate sage collects and evokes old sayings and proverbs. Then, the wisdom is reinterpreted and contemporized for the current situation. Through this process, the sage helps his readers develop a sense of right and wrong, develop moral reasoning skills, and cultivate virtues. I will argue that this pattern, moral formation, is present in the unfolding of James’s letter to his diasporic readers. Regarding the structure of the letter of James, after Dibelius, many attempts have been made to present the letter as a cohesive text with a literary structure, which is unified by a single global theme. In this framework, most of what have been proposed as a structure of the letter is more or less topic (or theme)-based. Unfortunately, however, neither a rigorous definition of topic nor a method for determining it has been clearly stated. The limits of the topic-based approach become problematic when applied to the structure of James whereby diverse topics are scattered here and there throughout the text. Attempts to draw intricate lines between these units through topical or thematic similarities make the structure of James very complicated (e.g., inclusio or chiasm). This study attempts to break this methodological impasse by employing Ruqaiya Hasan’s genre theory developed in a systemic functional framework. James’s letter is delimited in terms of function, not topic or theme. In search for the function of each segment, I explore textual (semantic chain and cohesive harmony), ideational (transitivity, verbal aspect, and voice), and interpersonal meanings (grammatical person and speech functions).

German text / In dieser Studie wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob der Jakobusbrief den Weg zum vollkommenen Glauben zeigt. Dazu wird zunächst die Berechtigung einer solchen Fragestellung anhand der neueren Forschung aufgezeigt. Dann werden in knapper Form allgemeine Fragen zum Jakobusbrief behandelt, bevor die beiden Zentralbegriffe dieser Studie untersucht werden: Glaube und vollkommen. Um eine inhaltliche Definition dieser Begriffe im Jakobusbrief geben zu können, wird zunächst dargelegt, welche sprachlichen bzw. inhaltlichen Kontexte in der damaligen Zeit gegeben waren und den Schreiber des Jakobusbriefes beeinflusst haben könnten. Die so gewonnenen Ergebnisse fließen sodann in die Untersuchung von Jakobus 2 ein. Dabei werden unter Berücksichtigung des rhetorischen Aufbaus, der sprachlichen Besonderheiten und der kulturellen Gegebenheiten die Verse Jakobus 2:1-13 und 2:14-26 untersucht. Hierbei ist das Beispiel von Abrahams Glauben in Jakobus 2:22 von besonderer Bedeutung. Abschließend wird eine Antwort auf die eingangs aufgeworfene Frage gegeben. / This thesis examines whether and in what way the Epistle of James shows the way to perfect faith. A detailed survey of research indicates that this is an important and relevant question that has, as yet, not been adequately examined. General questions about the Epistle of James are addressed before a detailed analysis of the central terminology of this study, the language of faith and of perfection. Assessment of this terminology requires an understanding of which linguistic and other contexts were prevalent at the time of writing and how these may have influenced the author. The results of these analyses are included in a detailed exegesis of James 2:1-26 (which constitutes the main part of the thesis). Close attention is paid to the rhetorical structure, the linguistic features and the cultural background of the passage. This thesis argues that the example of Abraham’s faith in James 2:22 is of special significance in the argumentation of the letter and in the quest for perfect faith. The conclusion confirms the notion that the Letter of James makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of faith and its perfection. This thesis also draws out certain implications for New Testament theology, the contemporary church and society at large. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)

German text / In dieser Studie wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob der Jakobusbrief den Weg zum vollkommenen Glauben zeigt. Dazu wird zunächst die Berechtigung einer solchen Fragestellung anhand der neueren Forschung aufgezeigt. Dann werden in knapper Form allgemeine Fragen zum Jakobusbrief behandelt, bevor die beiden Zentralbegriffe dieser Studie untersucht werden: Glaube und vollkommen. Um eine inhaltliche Definition dieser Begriffe im Jakobusbrief geben zu können, wird zunächst dargelegt, welche sprachlichen bzw. inhaltlichen Kontexte in der damaligen Zeit gegeben waren und den Schreiber des Jakobusbriefes beeinflusst haben könnten. Die so gewonnenen Ergebnisse fließen sodann in die Untersuchung von Jakobus 2 ein. Dabei werden unter Berücksichtigung des rhetorischen Aufbaus, der sprachlichen Besonderheiten und der kulturellen Gegebenheiten die Verse Jakobus 2:1-13 und 2:14-26 untersucht. Hierbei ist das Beispiel von Abrahams Glauben in Jakobus 2:22 von besonderer Bedeutung. Abschließend wird eine Antwort auf die eingangs aufgeworfene Frage gegeben. / This thesis examines whether and in what way the Epistle of James shows the way to perfect faith. A detailed survey of research indicates that this is an important and relevant question that has, as yet, not been adequately examined. General questions about the Epistle of James are addressed before a detailed analysis of the central terminology of this study, the language of faith and of perfection. Assessment of this terminology requires an understanding of which linguistic and other contexts were prevalent at the time of writing and how these may have influenced the author. The results of these analyses are included in a detailed exegesis of James 2:1-26 (which constitutes the main part of the thesis). Close attention is paid to the rhetorical structure, the linguistic features and the cultural background of the passage. This thesis argues that the example of Abraham’s faith in James 2:22 is of special significance in the argumentation of the letter and in the quest for perfect faith. The conclusion confirms the notion that the Letter of James makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of faith and its perfection. This thesis also draws out certain implications for New Testament theology, the contemporary church and society at large. / New Testament / M. Th. (New Testament)