Toward a Postcolonial Reading of the Epistle of James: James 2:1-13 in its Roman Imperial Context

Toward a Postcolonial Reading\rof the Epistle of James:\rJames 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