The small number of disagreeing early church fathers contributed to James slow inclusion into the canon. Other worsening circumstances certainly contributed to this as well. Consider that James was limited in circulation because its audience is Jewish Christians of the East Dispersion. We also must take into account that its limited quotes and references of early church fathers would be because it does not internally claim to be apostolic. James does not refer to himself in that title but as “bond-servant of the Lord and Jesus Christ.” Furthermore, a close investigation of the epistle’s contents reveals that its verses are more ethical, as a Hebrew wisdom paraenesis, than it is theological. The Patristic period is filled with theological importance on the development of Christian doctrine. Many of the debates of this time are housed in both theological and philosophical issues.  Ironically the one place that James does make a strong theological statement people have wrongly concluded disharmony with Pauline theology of salvation by grace through faith. The book of James was no longer contested until Martin Luther questioned it on the grounds of a supposed theological conflicts with Paul.
James faced its strongest criticism under the scrutiny of Luther. Martin Luther’s fervent holding of Paul’s position on justification by faith alone as the central core of Scripture made it problematic for him to receive James. As a result, he downgraded it to a junior standing in the New Testament, along with Jude, Hebrews, and Revelation.  “Nevertheless, Luther did not exclude James from the canon, and despite his criticisms, he quoted James approvingly many times.”  Compared with those “chief books” that clearly taught justification by faith, James appeared to Luther to be an “epistle of straw”  (i.e. one made of straw; his allusion is to 1 Cor. 3:12). However, he can also say, “I would not prevent anyone from including or extolling him as he pleases, for there are otherwise many good sayings in him.”  It would not be appropriate to diminish Luther’s issues with James as he clearly wrestles with it. However, the book Introduction to the New Testament suggests the following concerning Luther’s issues: “But his difficulties arose from a somewhat imbalanced perspective induced by his polemical context.”  It would be fruitful at this point to examine some of Luther’s challenges and initial perceptions concerning the theology of justification in James. Ultimately, Luther concludes, James “wanted to guard against those who relied on faith without works, but was unequal to the task. He tries to accomplish by harping on the law what the apostles accomplish by stimulating people to love.” 


Ironically, it was while teaching the Bible at Wittenberg that Luther received and rediscovered the gospel and its central theme of justification by faith resulting in the famous “tower experience.” In 1515, Luther began lecturing on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. It was at some point during this period while studying and lecturing on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, that Luther experienced the peace of justification. Luther had been set free from the bondage of salvation by works. He had rediscovered the gospel and had been transformed by it in the process! He would enjoy new freedom in the finished work of Christ on the cross. However, there would have theological battles and much controversy still to come. 
