What, then, is the literary genre of Ellen White's writings on the Bible? First, let me say what it is not. It is not scholarship, exegesis, or the product of or a contribution to biblical studies. Rather, from my examination of evidence from DA [Desire of Ages] as representative of such writing, I conclude that it is biblical fiction--biblical, because it is based on underlying, although often-harmonized, biblical texts; fiction, because it freely amends, deletes, enhances, rearranges, and applies the biblical narratives. This should not be seen as a negative characterization. The usual purpose of this type of writing is to motivate spiritually, stimulate devotion, and enhance the religious experience of readers.
Trenchard begins with "First, let me say what it is not." This signals that his article as a whole belongs to a genre of writing which we call "delimitations." These establish at the beginning of research projects what they are not about so that readers of their results won't have false expectations.
This is what this article does for those of us who read Ellen White's writings about the Bible. It tells us what we should not expect. This is a necessary step. It is also inherently negative and discomforting. We will feel less uncomfortable if can we remember or imagine the moans and groans young researchers often express when their mentors tell them that their projects “require additional delimitation!”
Trenchard’s use of the word “fiction” will intensify the discomfort of many SDAs. Rightly or wrongly, they believe that Ellen White condemned the reading of “fiction.” Telling them that her writings about the Bible are “fiction” will needlessly and deeply offend them. They will find it easy to believe that he intentionally uses this word in order to discredit her and mock them. This will make it difficult for them to find anything of value in the article. This is unfortunate because they are the ones who would most benefit from taking it seriously. Another factor is that both Pilgrim’s Progress and the beliefs of flat-earthers are “fiction,” albeit it in different ways. Moving forward will require the use of less offensive and more precise language.
It is nevertheless the case that we should learn something very important from this article. It is that we should not expect the writings of Ellen White, or the Bible, to give us final answers when we are investigating matters of fact. When we are doing this, we should study as much of the pertinent evidence as we can and follow it where it leads. These important texts provide part of the evidence but not the whole of it.
On the other hand, when we are studying them for our own personal benefit, we should look for recurring themes, principles, trajectories, virtues, vices and values and so forth which thread their way through all of the material. We should not worry about problematic details or about things which appear only now and then We should stand back and look at the big picture. We should keep reading and discussing. We should remember that pushing forward is the best way to stay balanced on a bicycle.
The result of team efforts which used many sources without acknowledging them, the writings of Ellen White became a valuable resource. This is not because they settle matters of fact on any subject. It is because they provide a paradigm within which we see can and integrate things which we might otherwise miss.
The book Desire of Ages is the third of five volumes in the Conflict of the Ages series. The others are Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, Acts of the Apostles and The Great Controversy. If we look to them to for definitive answers to factual questions, we will experience an endless regress of disappointment and frustration.
If, on the other hand, we notice that the first words in the first volume and the last words in the fifth volume are both “God is love.” we will realize that these books are not a hodgepodge of ad hoc comments. They unfold a paradigm which puts divine love rather than divine power, sovereignty, beauty, wrath or anything else front and center.
When we read Ellen White writings about the Bible, we should keep this paradigm in mind with an eye to how how she uses the Biblical materials in harmony with it. To my way of thinking, these writings are not fiction. They are interpretation and they share the plusses and minuses of all interpretations.
We will not understand Trenchard’s overall position on these matters until we include at least two other things by him whiuch are at “Papers/Essays” on his website (www.warrentrenchard.com). The first is “An Assessment of the Reformation Doctrine of Sola Scriptura.” It does for the Bible what this article does for the writings of Ellen White. The other is “An Adventist Theology of the Earth in Light of the End Time.” It uses the paradigm about which we have been speaking to address the most serious ethical issue of our time. Read them!