The Voice of Jesus in the Social Rhetoric of James (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, Series Number 106)

This programmatic socio-rhetorical investigation approaches the Epistle of James as an instance of written deliberative rhetoric, and it seeks to ascertain the social texture of James 2.5, a rhetorical performance of language that in other contexts is explicitly attributed to Jesus. Utilizing the conventions of Greco-Roman rhetoric, Dr Wachob successively probes the inner texture, the intertexture, the social and cultural texture, and the ideological implications of the rhetoric in James 2.1-13. He analyses James' activation of antecedent texts in the LXX, common conceptions and topics in the broader culture, and also sayings in the Jesus tradition. He concludes that James emanates from the same milieu as the pre-Matthean Sermon on the Mount and shows James 2.5 to be an artful performance of the principal beatitude in that early epitome of Jesus' teachings. This Programmatic Socio-rhetorical Investigation Approaches The Epistle Of James As An Instance Of Written Deliberative Rhetoric, And It Seeks To Ascertain The Social Texture Of James 2.5, A Rhetorical Performance Of Language That In Other Contexts Is Explicitly Attributed To Jesus. Utilizing The Conventions Of Greco-roman Rhetoric, Dr. Wachob Successively Probes The Inner Texture, The Intertexture, The Social And Cultural Texture, And The Ideological Implications Of The Rhetoric In James 2.1-13.--book Jacket. Introduction -- The History Of Research And The Present Investigation -- The Inner Texture Of James 2:1-13 -- The Intertexture Of James 2:1-13 -- The Social And Cultural Texture Of James 2:1-13 -- Conclusion. Wesley Hiram Wachob. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 202-233) And Indexes. The Epistle of James is a rhetorical composition, a deliberative discourse in the guise of a letter. One of its most interesting features is its manipulation of Jesus' sayings to make an audience think and act in ways that have social consequence. This is a study of James' social rhetoric