James

James is the Bible's book of practical wisdom, written to scattered Jewish believers with the bluntness of a Proverbs for the church. Its concern is that faith prove itself real in how one lives: 'faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead' (2:17).

In punchy, memorable sayings it tackles trials, favouritism toward the rich, the taming of the tongue, quarrels, patience and prayer. Often thought to come from James the brother of Jesus, the letter echoes the Sermon on the Mount and insists that genuine religion shows in caring for the vulnerable and living out what one believes.