Phyllis Trible, Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.
"If terror dominates the study, theory does not .... Storytelling is sufficient unto itself." xiii preface.
Phyllis Trible's 1984 book Texts of Terror may have been the first scholarly work to focus attention strictly upon violence against women in the biblical narrative. By doing so, it raised questions about the role of the scholar. Did Trible contribute to the task of interpreting the text or reconstructing its historic Sitz im Leben or the history of its composition? Or did she simply express her outrage at violence done to literary tropes? I recall a discussion with graduate students and faculty in the Department of Religion at McMaster University which questioned the scholarly value of the book based upon the lack of recognized critical methodology. One professor characterized Trible's work as fiction.
Despite any negative verdicts about the scholarly value of Trible's book, it continues to be read and sited. Perhaps, Trible opened Pandora's box, for once we allow ourselves to feel for the victims of the text, we cannot repress these emotions easily. We become real readers of the text and not simply its exegetes.
Trible describes the Bible as a mirror. "If art imitates life, scripture likewise reflects it in both holiness and horror. Reflections themselves neither mandate nor manufacture change; yet by enabling insight, they may inspire repentance. In other words sad stories may yield new beginnings." p.3?.
For our purpose, we will focus upon Trible's methodology even though she treats it as secondary. Trible uses a form of literary criticism that focuses upon several principles: