Diatribe
Definition
A rhetorical device derived from Greek philosophy in which an author argues with an imaginary opponent, proposing objections and responding to them; James uses direct address, rhetorical questions, and invented interlocutors (1:13; 2:18; 4:13).
Episodes
Related Concepts
- Greco-Roman Rhetoric
- Rhetorical Question
- Wisdom Literature
Biblical References
- James 4:13-17 — Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke…
- Romans 6:1-4 — What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized…