Poor and Rich in James: A Relevance Theory Approach to James’s Use of the Old Testament

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.