NTS 2006 La sagesse de la vie selon l'ptre de Jacques: Lignes de Lecture ERNESTO BORGHI a1 Via Sismondi 62, 20133

Milano, Italy Abstract L'ptre de Jacques montre clairement comment la vie chrtienne doit et peut tre sage. partir d'une perspective enracine dans le Premier Testament, mais tout fait renove par l'incarnation du Fils de Dieu, Jacques donne un fresque des caractres fondam entaux de la vie selon l'vangile de Jsus Christ. La perspective sapientielle parat la clef de lecture du portrait de l'existence humaine offert par cette ptre du Nou veau Testament. Jacques prsente la sagesse de Jsus sans offrir des considerations elves sous un point de vue strictement intellectuel ou esthtique. Il invite ses lec teurs un choix thique directe. Savoir pour aimer, aimer pour savoir: celui-ci est le sens de la vie chrtienne selon Jacques. Symbols of Wisdom in James 1:17 John C. Poirier Correspondence: poirier@siscom.net Although scholars have often recognized that wisdom is the 'gift' mentioned in J as. 1:17, they have not given much attention to how the giving of wisdom answers the problem of persecution as discussed in the preceding verses. The best solut ion to this puzzle is to adopt the understanding of wisdom's role that we find i n 4 Maccabees: wisdom is a sort of direct antidote to persecution. An investigat ion of the religious background of the language of Jas. 1:17 supports this inter pretation. Philo speaks of divine wisdom as a shadowless light, in terms very si milar to James, while the Qumran scrolls evince a fully developed theology of th e priestly oracles (Urim and Thummim) as symbols of divine wisdom. Not only does the Qumranic profile of the Urim and Thummim answer to the theme of wisdom and to James's pleonastic use of 'lights' and 'perfect', but the Qumran scrolls also enlist the operation of the urim and thummim as a sort of bulwark or antidote a gainst persecution, similarly to how wisdom functions for James.