A Spirituality of Perfection: Faith in Action in the Letter of James

Hartin's book does a good job of showing that one can view the book of James in a connected manner, that it is not entirely a connection of disconnected sayings. For Hartin, the unifying theme in James is that of perfection. He examines the biblical ideas of perfection and combines then with Hellenistic ideas of perfection, applying each to the book of James. His treatment of James is useful in providing a unique viewpoint on the work. He also includes a discussion about modern ideas of perfection. The common view of perfection today, Hartin argues, is very different than that in the time of James. His ideas about how the focus on perfection in James can be applied in our world are worth considering.