Toward a Rhetography of James 1:1–18: Ekphrasis, Cinematography, and the Visual-Rhetorical Effects of the Passage

Within the analytical framework of sociorhetorical (or, socio-rhetorical) interpretation (SRI), this paper explores a sustained rhetography of James 1:1–18. It begins with a brief examination of visual elements in James through the lens of ancient ekphrasis, which offers a nuanced understanding of the social and cultural texture of the letter. Since the letter of James (especially 1:1–18) contains sporadic images that reflect ekphrastic tradition (rather than long, elaborate ekphrasis), a new approach is needed to understand its visual-rhetorical effects. Therefore, rhetography in SRI (especially cinematographic and editing techniques, such as shot types, shot transitions, and continuity editing with crosscutting shots) is introduced to the text. This sociorhetorical reading of James 1:1–18 helps readers understand the visual-rhetorical strategy of the text. This manifests in various ways: (a) displaying contrasting figures close-up (positive, less positive, and negative) to emulate or avoid; (b) portraying negative figure(s) in precarious situations through vivid similes that elicit emotional responses; and (c) envisaging eschatological consequences, thus making the invisible visible. The movement and sequence of the shots can effectively direct the letter’s audience/viewer toward a wise and unwavering life in the diaspora.