Does the Book of James Attack the Teachings of Paul?

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For over five centuries (going back to Martin Luther!) many readers of the New Testament have maintained that the letter of James flat-out contradicts the teachings of Paul that a person is made right with God only by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. James insists that a person is not justified by faith alone, but by doing good works; but Paul argues with equal passion that a person is justified by faith in Christ and not by doing works of the law. So... aren't these views at direct odds? Bart's views may seem surprising....

Megan asks:

-What is the Book of James, and when was it written?

-As early as the days of Martin Luther, readers have thought that the book of James contradicts the teachings of Paul. Why was this an important issue for Luther and the Protestant Reformation?

-Is there anything that suggests that these two men were actually at odds with each other, historically speaking?

-The two passages that are pointed to as demonstrating disagreement and contradiction between Paul and James are Romans 3:28, and James 2:24. Romans reads “we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law”, and James 2:24 reads “you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone”. Before we get into whether these passages are in disagreement, can you explain what “justified” means in this context?

-What about “faith” and “works”? And do both James and Paul use the same Greek words, or am I being led astray by English translations?

-It seems as though Paul is saying that faith in Jesus is all you need for salvation. Is this accurate?

-James and Paul seem to be completely contradicting one another in their views on faith and works - are they being contradictory, or are they using the words to mean different things?

-Do other passages in the book of James, and Paul’s letters, speak to the authors’ views on faith and works?

-Why is James attacking a view that Paul didn’t have?

-Even if they’re not actually contradicting one another and are actually talking about different things, the fact that they use the same vocabulary, refer to Abraham, and quote Genesis 15:6 is a little too convenient to be coincidental. What do academics think happened here?

-What are the arguments over whether it was written by James the brother of Jesus?