Poor and rich in James - Nelson R. Morales

The epistle of James was, for years, a forgotten book in academic circles. In recent decades, however, a renewed focus on early Judaism has generated interest in looking at James with new eyes. In this context, different studies, monographs and commentaries have been written. Poverty and wealth in the epistle continues to be a point of interest. Other topics, however, are still to be explored. One of those topics is the rhetorical study of the use of the Old Testament in the book. The present investigation focuses on how James uses the OT in those passages where he deals with poverty and wealth. In particular, it focuses on how he builds his ethics of poverty and wealth.

“As a whole . . . it is an insightful study that offers a good introduction to Relevance Theory, a theory that should be applied to future studies of text quotation and no doubt would also be helpful for studies of intertextuality.”

—Benjamin Austin, Bibliotheca Orientalis


“[This book] focuses on how James uses the Old Testament in those passages where he deals with poverty and wealth. In particular, it focuses on how he builds his ethics of poverty and wealth.”

—Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology