The treatise attributed to Jesus’ brother James in the New Testament was not even considered “Christian” by many Protestant theologians such as Martin Luther. And yet this James was the leader of the followers of Jesus after the crucifixion–and held that position until his own brutal death in 63 CE at the hands of the same Annas family of priests in Jerusalem. What would it mean to take James the brother of Jesus seriously–in contact to Paul who has become the architect of what we know as “Christianity?” Would that take one “out of” Christianity as we know it today? One could make a good case that James was not even a Christian–certainly he would not pass any of the creedal confessional tests of orthodox Christianity. So what are the implications thereof, and why did Paul, for all intents and purposes, become the most influential apostle in the movement?
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