On Campaign Trail, Democrats Put Their Faith in Book of James

Some attribute its authorship to James, the brother of Jesus, a prominent leader of the early church in Jerusalem. Even though there was debate about the letter's authority, it nonetheless became part of the New Testament canon by the end of the 3rd century.

The book's emphasis on demonstrable works, at the expense, some have argued, of belief, has plagued the letter throughout history. In the preface to his 1522 New Testament, Martin Luther famously called it an "epistle of straw" for seeming to contradict his teaching of salvation through grace alone.

"It's not the case that Paul is arguing for faith versus works, as he is sometimes portrayed, and James is not arguing for works as if they were opposed to faith, but rather a complement to faith," said Thomas C. Oden, professor emeritus of theology and ethics at Drew University.

In his speeches and writings, 19th-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass used James in his calls for justice for emancipated slaves. "I love that religion that makes it the duty of its disciples to visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction," he said, like Brownback invoking the spirit of James 1:27.

As the Social Gospel movement spread among Protestant churches in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, James's "faith without works is dead" theme dovetailed with the movement's emphasis on community betterment and improvements in education, health care and labor conditions. It's the same environment in which Clinton's Methodist background, with its tradition of social outreach, took hold in America.

One of Clinton's criticisms of Obama was that he is all talk and no action, a barb that sounds a lot like another line from her favorite epistle: "But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves" (James 1:22).

In response, Obama's campaign mailed fliers to Kentucky voters that said: "My faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want, but I won't be fulfilling God's will unless I go out and do the Lord's work." It wasn't an explicit tie to James, but the sentiment perfectly matched the epistle's thrust.

Citing James and its "faith in action" catch phrase might also signal an attempt to reach non-Christian voters who can nonetheless appreciate the idea of living life according to a set of deeply held values.

"I think people from the Jewish faith could read the book without any difficulties, and the same with Islam. It offers a theological perspective rather than christological," said the Rev. Patrick Hartin, professor of religious studies at Gonzaga University and the author of "A Spirituality of Perfection: Faith in Action in the Letter of James."

At the same time, James has a clear two-pronged message for Christians, said Karen Jobes, professor of New Testament Greek and exegesis at Wheaton College: "It's not enough to say I believe in Christ but do nothing to help my neighbor" but at the same time, "living ethically, apart from Jesus Christ, is never enough."

In that sense, James is a perfect book for politicians to use: Its scriptural authority speaks to Christians, but its emphasis on ethical action speaks to everyone.

"In some ways Christianity can be domesticated too much, in the sense that it becomes a very private, individual religion," Hartin said. "One tends to forget its community aspect, and James is vital for that."