THE KERALA UNITED THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

KANNAMMOOLA, TRIVANDRUM

ASSIGNMENT ON : FEMINIST THEOLOGY

TOPIC: “ TEXTS OF TERROR” :HERMENUTICS OF

SUSPICION

Submitted to: [Link] . S. Paul

Submitted by: Joevert Samlin Jebez
Class: BD IV B
Introduction:

Phyllis Trible, in her groundbreaking work Texts of Terror (1984), uses the
term to describe certain biblical narratives that depict extreme suffering, violence, and
marginalization particularly of women without offering them justice or redemption
within the text. 1These stories expose the patriarchal structures of biblical society and
highlight how women are often silenced, victimized, or erased in the scriptural
tradition. Trible identifies figures such as Hagar (Genesis 16, 21), Tamar (2 Samuel
13), Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 11), and the Concubine of Gibeah (Judges 19) as
examples of women who endure unspeakable violence and oppression.

The hermeneutics of suspicion, a term coined by philosopher Paul Ricoeur, refers to

an interpretative approach that assumes texts are not neutral but often conceal deeper
ideological biases especially those of power, patriarchy, and oppression. Ricoeur
associated this method with thinkers like Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, who each
sought to unmask hidden structures of domination in culture, psychology, and
economics.

Theoritical Framework:
The hermeneutics of suspicion is a critical approach to interpretation that
emphasizes uncovering hidden ideologies, power structures, and oppressive biases
embedded within texts. Coined by the philosopher Paul Ricoeur, the term is closely
associated with Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, who each proposed that texts or ideas
often conceal or distort underlying realities that support power and domination.2
Rather than reading a text at face value, the hermeneutics of suspicion interrogates the
text to reveal what it might be concealing or distorting in its representation of reality,
particularly regarding social, political, and gendered power dynamics.

1
Phyllis Trible, Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives (Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1984), 1–3.

2
Phyllis Trible, Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives (Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1984), 1–3.
Paul Ricoeur
Ricoeur was one of the central figures in developing the hermeneutics of suspicion.
For him, suspicion involved recognizing that texts are often laden with hidden
ideologies, and their meanings may mask or obscure these ideologies.3 Ricoeur’s
influence was profound in biblical studies as he suggested that the text’s surface
meaning must be critically examined to expose deeper, often subconscious forces at
play. In his work, interpretation is not just an act of uncovering the "true" meaning,
but an active process of questioning and deconstructing apparent truths.

In biblical studies, the hermeneutics of suspicion implies that traditional readings of

scripture often overlook the biases of the text's original authors or their socio-political
agenda. For instance, the portrayal of women in the Bible, particularly in stories of
violence or marginalization, might be read more critically to expose how patriarchal
ideology shapes these narratives.

Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza

Schussler Fiorenza is a feminist theologian who employed the hermeneutics of

suspicion to critique biblical texts from a feminist perspective. She argued that
traditional biblical scholarship has long been dominated by male theologians who
have interpreted the Bible through a lens that reinforces male authority. In her seminal
work In Memory of Her, Fiorenza uses the hermeneutics of suspicion to expose the
exclusion of women from theological authority and how biblical texts have often been
manipulated to justify patriarchal structures.

Schussler Fiorenza critiques the subjugation of women in both the Old and New
Testaments by analyzing the historical, social, and religious contexts in which these
texts were written.4 By applying suspicion to the way biblical authors framed female
characters and their roles, Fiorenza is able to offer alternative interpretations that

3
Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of
Christian Origins (New York: Crossroad, 1983), 4–5.

4
Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of
Christian Origins (New York: Crossroad, 1983), 4–5.
emphasize the presence of strong, influential women in the biblical narrative, such as
Mary Magdalene, Deborah, and Ruth, whose stories have often been overlooked or
minimized.

Phyllis Trible
Phyllis Trible, in her work Texts of Terror, is perhaps one of the most influential
figures to apply the hermeneutics of suspicion to biblical texts, particularly focusing
on the stories of women who suffer extreme violence and marginalization. She uses
suspicion to question the interpretive traditions that have historically minimized the
horror of these texts, instead treating them as moral lessons or divine justice.

Trible’s focus is on biblical narratives of violence against women, such as Tamar,

Hagar, and Jephthah's Daughter, and she reads them in a way that reveals patriarchal
oppression and exposes the suffering of women that traditional readings have often
obscured.5 By reading these texts through a lens of suspicion, she challenges the myth
of divine benevolence and uncovers how patriarchy functions within sacred scripture.

Feminist Critique of Biblical Texts and Its Relation to "Texts of Terror"

The feminist critique of biblical texts emphasizes that women’s voices have been
marginalized, silenced, or misrepresented within the Bible. Feminist theologians
argue that the Bible, as a product of a patriarchal society, reflects gender inequalities
that are often normalized and justified as divine will. This critique is central to the
work of Phyllis Trible and other feminist scholars who argue that many of the biblical
stories involving women are often troubling in their representation of violence, sexual
abuse, and marginalization.

In Trible’s Texts of Terror, these stories are exposed as sites of trauma and injustice,
rather than moral examples or justifications for divine authority. Feminist theologians
like Trible ask why these stories exist in the first place and how they reflect the

5
Gale A. Yee, “Ideological Criticism: Judges 19–21 and the Dismembered Body,” in Judges &
Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies, ed. Gale A. Yee (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007),
114–116.
patriarchal values of the time.6 Trible’s analysis helps readers understand that these
narratives perpetuate harmful ideologies about gender, sexuality, and power, and that
reading them critically is crucial for ethical and theological development.

1. Hagar (Genesis 16, 21:9-21) – A Woman Cast Out and Silenced

Summary of the Narrative:

Hagar is an Egyptian servant woman, owned by Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Sarah,
unable to conceive, gives Hagar to Abraham as a surrogate to bear a child on her
behalf. Hagar becomes pregnant with Abraham’s child, and when she begins to show,
Sarah’s jealousy and mistreatment of her lead to Hagar fleeing into the wilderness. In
her desperation, Hagar encounters an angel of the Lord who speaks to her, telling her
to return to Sarah and submit to her, and promises her that her descendants will be
numerous.

Later, after Sarah finally bears Isaac, she demands that Abraham send Hagar and her
son, Ishmael, away to ensure Isaac’s inheritance is not jeopardized. Abraham is
reluctant but follows God’s command to send them into the desert. There, Hagar is
once again left in a dire situation, and in her desperation, she nearly watches her son
die of thirst. However, God appears again, promising that Ishmael will also be the
father of a great nation. The angel of God intervenes, providing water, and they are
saved.

Hermeneutics of Suspicion:
The story of Hagar is tragic and revealing in its portrayal of the silencing and
marginalization of women in the Bible. From the very beginning, Hagar is used as a
tool for Sarah’s desire to have children, and her agency is continually denied. Her
pregnancy is the catalyst for conflict, and when Sarah’s jealousy grows, Hagar is
abused and cast aside7. This narrative exposes the patriarchal structures that objectify

6
Gale A. Yee, “Ideological Criticism: Judges 19–21 and the Dismembered Body,” in Judges &
Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies, ed. Gale A. Yee (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007),
114–116.

7
Susanne Scholz, Sacred Witness: Rape in the Hebrew Bible (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010),
45–50.
and discard women, particularly those who are enslaved or in subordinate social
positions.

By applying the hermeneutics of suspicion, we see how Hagar’s voice is consistently

silenced, and she is treated as a pawn in the hands of powerful men—first Sarah and
Abraham, and later God, who commands her to return to an abusive situation. Hagar's
emotional suffering and the violence she endures at the hands of those around her are
minimized in traditional readings that focus on the obedience of Abraham and the
fulfillment of God’s promise.8 This reflects how patriarchal narratives are often used
to justify the mistreatment of vulnerable individuals, especially women of lower status,
while centering the interests of men and maintaining hierarchical order.

Feminist Critique and Ethical Concerns:

Feminist theologians, including Phyllis Trible, emphasize the dehumanizing treatment
Hagar experiences.9 By applying the hermeneutics of suspicion, we see the narrative
not as a simple story of divine intervention, but as a critique of patriarchal systems
that justify the exploitation and displacement of women. Hagar is not only cast out by
Sarah, but her maternal bond with Ishmael is also dismissed when she is forced to
leave. The text forces readers to confront the reality of marginalized women’s voices
and the structural violence perpetuated by patriarchal ideologies.

2. Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-22) – A Narrative of Sexual Violence

Summary of the Narrative:

Tamar, the daughter of King David and sister of Absalom, is sexually assaulted by her
half-brother Amnon, who becomes obsessed with her. Amnon feigns illness and
requests Tamar to bring him food in his room. When she does, Amnon forces her into
his bed, raping her. Tamar begs him to stop and offers to marry him, but Amnon’s lust
quickly turns to hatred, and he throws her out of his room. Tamar’s life is shattered,
and she mourns her defilement by tearing her clothes and putting ashes on her head.

8
Kwok Pui-Lan, Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology (Louisville: Westminster John
Knox Press, 2005), 76.

9
Kwok Pui-Lan, Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology (Louisville: Westminster John
Knox Press, 2005), 76.
Tamar’s brother Absalom takes her in, but her father, King David, is described as
angry but ultimately fails to take action against Amnon. The injustice leads to
Absalom’s revenge years later, when he orchestrates Amnon’s murder. This leads to a
tragic family rift and sets off a chain of events that will ultimately lead to Absalom’s
rebellion against David.

Hermeneutics of Suspicion:
The story of Tamar's rape is a profoundly tragic example of how patriarchal structures
in the Bible normalize sexual violence and male power. Amnon’s actions are
presented as the result of his overwhelming desire, and while Tamar is portrayed as
the object of his desire, her agency and voice are suppressed. She is silenced in her
own narrative: her pleas for mercy go unheard, and her father David, though angry,
does nothing to punish Amnon or address the injustice.10

Using the hermeneutics of suspicion, we begin to question why Tamar’s suffering is

minimized and why the text is more concerned with the vengeance of Absalom than
with justice for Tamar.11 The narrative often overlooks the trauma that Tamar
experiences, instead focusing on the political and dynastic consequences of Amnon’s
assault. Patriarchy is exposed in the way the story ignores Tamar’s pain, and the
moral failure of King David underscores the institutionalized indifference to women’s
suffering in biblical society.

Feminist Critique and Ethical Concerns:

Feminist theologians like Trible and Elaine Pagels critique this passage for the failure
of the male figures to protect Tamar and hold Amnon accountable. The narrative
exposes the patriarchal values that lead to the erasure of the victim’s voice and the
blaming of women for male desire and actions. Tamar’s sexual assault is reduced to a
family drama, and her experience of violence and shame is largely ignored in favor of
the story’s focus on vengeance and power struggles.

10
Judith Butler, Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (New York: Routledge,
1990), 89.

11
Cheryl Exum, Fragmented Women: Feminist (Sub)versions of Biblical Narratives (Sheffield:
Sheffield Academic Press, 1993), 22–23.
By reading this story through a lens of suspicion, we uncover how biblical texts
reflect a world where women’s rights and agency are disregarded, and where men’s
actions are more often treated as the central focus. The story thus becomes a powerful
critique of systemic gendered violence and a call for justice and accountability in both
ancient and contemporary contexts.

Analyzing Hagar and Tamar Through the Hermeneutics of Suspicion

Both of these stories Hagar and Tamar illustrate the marginalization and victimization
of women in biblical texts, particularly within the context of patriarchal power
structures. The hermeneutics of suspicion reveals the invisibility of the women’s
voices and the normalization of violence in these stories, challenging readers to
reconsider traditional interpretations that may gloss over the ethical implications of
these texts. By critically engaging with these stories, feminist theologians like Phyllis
Trible and Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza invite readers to reflect on the oppressive
systems that continue to shape biblical interpretation, and to demand more ethical and
just readings that amplify the voices of those historically silenced.

Conclusion

The hermeneutics of suspicion offers a transformative approach to interpreting sacred

texts by uncovering the often-concealed power dynamics that shape scripture.
Thinkers like Ricoeur, Schüssler Fiorenza, and Trible use this method to critically
engage with biblical texts, challenging patriarchal assumptions and bringing to light
oppressive structures embedded in scripture. By applying this method to "Texts of
Terror", we can more fully understand how these stories reflect and perpetuate social
injustices, while also offering opportunities for reclaiming the marginalized voices
and rethinking traditional interpretations.
Bibliography:

 Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New
York: Routledge, 1990.
 Exum, J. Cheryl. Fragmented Women: Feminist (Sub)versions of Biblical
Narratives. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993.
 Fiorenza, Elisabeth Schüssler. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological
Reconstruction of Christian Origins. New York: Crossroad, 1983.
 Kwok, Pui-Lan. Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology. Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2005.
 Scholz, Susanne. Sacred Witness: Rape in the Hebrew Bible. Minneapolis:
Fortress Press, 2010.
 Trible, Phyllis. Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical
Narratives. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.
 Weems, Renita J. Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew
Prophets. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995.
 Yee, Gale A., ed. Judges & Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007.