Toward a Postcolonial Reading of the Epistle of James: James 2:1-13 in its Roman Imperial Context (Biblical Interpretation Series, 119)

Toward a Postcolonial Reading of the Epistle of James offers an interpretation of Jas 2:1-13 putting the text in the midst of the Roman imperial system of rank. This study shows that the conflict of the text has more to do with differences of rank than poverty and wealth. The main problem is that the Christian assemblies are acting according to Roman cultural etiquette instead of their Jewish-Christian heritage when a Roman equestrian and a beggar visit the assembly. The members of the assemblies are accused of having become too Roman. From a postcolonial perspective, this is a typical case of hybrid identities. Additional key concepts from postcolonialism, such as diaspora, ‘othering’, naming of oppressors, and binarisms such as coloniser/colonised, centre/margin, honour/shame and power/powerless, are highlighted throughout the study. Toward a Postcolonial Reading of the Epistle of James: James 2:1–13 in its Roman Imperial Context......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 14 Acknowledgements......Page 16 Note on Footnotes, Bibliography and Abbreviations......Page 18 Part I: Introduction and Background......Page 20 Prelude......Page 22 Postcolonialism and Biblical Studies......Page 24 Obstacles to Applying a Postcolonial Optic to Biblical Research......Page 27 The Application of a Postcolonial Optic to the Interpretation of James 2:1–13......Page 29 Methodology......Page 31 Inner Texture......Page 32 Intertexture......Page 33 Social and Cultural Texture......Page 34 Ideological Texture......Page 35 1 The Epistle of James—Preliminary Considerations......Page 36 Author and Time......Page 37 Early Dating and James the Brother of the Lord as Author......Page 38 Late Dating and a Pseudonymous Author......Page 42 Conclusion: Date and Authorship......Page 46 Location of the Author......Page 47 Addressees......Page 48 Inner Texture......Page 50 Genre......Page 57 Theological Background......Page 58 The Epistle of James in a Graeco-Roman Context......Page 62 James 2:1–13 in Its Jamesian Context......Page 63 Ratio......Page 65 Confirmatio......Page 66 Exornatio......Page 67 Conplexio......Page 68 Summary......Page 69 Introduction......Page 70 Martin Dibelius......Page 71 Elsa Tamez......Page 74 Pedrito U. Maynard-Reid......Page 78 Matthias Ahrens......Page 79 Wesley Hiram Wachob......Page 80 David Hutchinson Edgar......Page 82 Martin Hengel......Page 83 Summary......Page 85 Interpretative Needs and Interpretative Conditions Concerning James 2:1–13......Page 86 Part II: A Postcolonial Interpretation of James 2:1–13......Page 90 Introduction......Page 92 The Assemblies and the Magistracies......Page 93 The Ordines......Page 94 Transition from the Republic to the Empire......Page 95 The Equestrian Order in the Government of the Empire......Page 98 Introduction......Page 101 Centres and Margins in the Empire......Page 102 Signs of Rank......Page 104 A Sketch of First-Century Civic Life within the Roman Empire......Page 113 Social Mobility?......Page 116 προσωπολημψία in the Empire? Partiality and Social Rank......Page 118 The Textual Basis of the Epistle of James—General Considerations......Page 120 Possible Text Critical Problems......Page 121 Structure of the Exegetical Analysis of James 2:1–13......Page 122 Verse 1—Propositio......Page 123 Intertexture of Sibling Terminology......Page 124 The Intertexture of προσωπολημψία......Page 130 The Cultural Texture of προσωπολημψία......Page 131 Ideological Texture of προσωπολημψία......Page 133 The Inner Texture of πίστις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς δόξης......Page 134 Summary of v. 1......Page 136 Inner Texture......Page 137 Reflections on the Conditional Sentence of vv. 2–4......Page 138 Intertexture of συναγωγὴ ὑμῶν (v. 2)......Page 143 Identity and Cultural Texture of the ἀνὴρ χρυσοδακτύλιος (v. 2)......Page 145 Identity and Cultural Texture of the πτωχός (v. 2)......Page 147 The Nature of the Gathering (v. 2)......Page 155 Cultural Texture of the Assembly (v. 2)......Page 161 Cultural Texture of the Scenario of vv. 2–4......Page 162 Inner Texture of v. 4......Page 164 Intertexture of διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς (v. 4)......Page 165 Intertexture of κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν (v. 4)......Page 167 Summary of vv. 2–4......Page 169 Inner Texture......Page 171 Intertexture of ἐκλέγομαι and κληρονόμος τῆς βασιλείας (v. 5)......Page 172 Intertexture of οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ κόσμῳ (v. 5)......Page 175 Intertexture of πλούσιοι ἐν πίστει (v. 5)......Page 177 Cultural Texture of ἀτιμάζω (v. 6a)......Page 181 Intertexture of ἀτιμάζω (v. 6a)......Page 184 Cultural Texture of καταδυναστεύω (v. 6b)......Page 186 Intertexture of τὸ καλὸν ὄνομα ἐπικληθὲν ἐφ' ὑμᾶς and βλασφημέω (v. 7)......Page 190 Summary of vv. 5–7......Page 194 Verses 8–11—Exornatio......Page 195 Inner Texture......Page 196 Intertexture of νόμος (v. 8)......Page 198 Intertexture of ἁμαρτία and παραβάτης (v. 9)......Page 207 Ideological Texture: ὰγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν......Page 211 Summary of vv. 8–11......Page 212 Inner Texture......Page 213 Intertexture of κρίνομαι (v. 12) and κρίσις (v. 13)......Page 215 Intertexture of ἔλεος and ἀνέλος (v. 13)......Page 217 Interpretative Results......Page 221 Introduction......Page 224 The Precondition of the Epistle of James—Diaspora......Page 225 Imperial Presence in James 2:1–13......Page 227 Hybrid Identities in James 2:1–13......Page 229 Oppression in James 2:1–13......Page 230 Binarism in James 2:1–13......Page 231 The Consequence of James’ Strategy in James 2:1–13......Page 235 Part III: Conclusions......Page 238 Introduction......Page 240 The Structure and Genre of the Epistle of James......Page 241 The Complex Issue of Rich and Poor—in Relation to Rank and Power......Page 242 Colonial Subjects, Processes of Colonialism and Texts......Page 243 Further Research Needs......Page 246 Bibliography......Page 248 Index of Modern Authors......Page 258 Index of Subjects and Names......Page 261 Index of Ancient Sources......Page 263 The Epistle Of James : Preliminary Considerations -- Situating The Present Investigation Within Recent Jamesian Research -- Social And Cultural Texture : A Short Overview Of Roman Political History And Markers Of Social Affiliation -- Exegesis Of James 2:1-13 -- Ideological Texture : Toward A Postcolonial Reading On James 2:1-13. By Ingeborg Mongstad-kvammen. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 229-237) And Indexes. Includes Text In English, Greek, And Latin.