Who is/was James?

[sitifan]

Who is James?

Who was James?

Both the above videos are talking about the author of the Book of James. One uses the present tense, but the other uses the past tense. What's the difference between them?

 

[kadioguy]

A friend told me:

“Who was James” kind of implies that he is dead.

If you made a video and titled it "Who was James?” it might mean "Who was he and how was he back then? " "What did he do back then?" etc.

"Who is James" is more general. It's just asking who "James" is. Kind of talking of him as a writer. “Who is the writer of this book?” “James.” “Who is James?”

 

[Tarheel]

"Who is James?" implies thst the person is alive today. Is he?

 

[sitifan]

"Who is James?" implies that the person is alive today. Is he?

No. He was "a brother of Jesus", according to the New Testament. He was an early leader of the Jerusalem Church of the Apostolic Age. Traditionally, it is believed he was martyred in AD 62 or 69 by being stoned to death by the Pharisees on order of High Priest Ananus ben Ananus.

 

[Tarheel]

@sitifan My point is that he is not alive. It should in my humble opinion be in the past tense.

 

[jutfrank]

Historians customarily use the present tense to talk about past events.