, ▁but ▁is ▁not ▁host ile ▁toward ▁the ology . ▁It ▁begins ▁with ▁the ▁understanding ▁that ▁historical ▁bib lic al ▁criticism ' s ▁focus ▁on ▁historic ity ▁produced ▁a ▁distinction ▁between ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁text ▁says ▁and ▁what ▁it ▁is ▁about ▁( what ▁it ▁references ). ▁ ▁This ▁produced ▁doub ts ▁about ▁the ▁text ' s ▁ver acity . ▁The ▁the olog ian ▁Hans ▁Frei ▁writes ▁that ▁what ▁he ▁refers ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" real istic ▁narr atives " ▁of ▁literature , ▁including ▁the ▁Bible , ▁don ' t ▁allow ▁for ▁such ▁separation . ▁Sub ject ▁matter ▁is ▁identical ▁to ▁ver bal ▁meaning ▁and ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁plot ▁and ▁now here ▁else . ▁" As ▁Frei ▁puts ▁it , ▁script ure ▁' sim ult ane ously ▁dep ict s ▁and ▁rend ers ▁the ▁reality ▁( if ▁any ) ▁of ▁what ▁it ▁tal ks ▁about '; ▁its ▁subject ▁matter ▁is ▁' const it uted ▁by , ▁or ▁identical ▁with , ▁its ▁narr ative ' ." ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁David ▁J . ▁A . ▁Cl ines , ▁" P oss ib ilities ▁and ▁Prior ities ▁of ▁Bib lic al ▁Inter pret ation ▁in ▁an ▁International ▁Pers pective ", ▁in ▁On ▁the ▁Way ▁to ▁the ▁Post mod ern : ▁Old ▁Testament ▁Ess ays ▁ 1 9 6 7 – 1 9 9 8 , ▁Volume ▁ 1 , ▁( JS OT S up , ▁ 2 9 2 ; ▁She ff ield :