Open AccessThe outline of an answer. This article is a response to J A Loader's evaluation of my book, "A story of two ways". It is argued that neither Loader nor any other scholar referred to in the book were deliberately belittled or degraded. Every Old Testament scholar mentioned in "Story" was depicted with the greatest respect and a sincere attempt was made to understand each one. Loader is therefore accused of a one-sided Loader-centric reading. To illustrate my point some important aspects with regard to "Story" are highlighted: the intention of the book, the way in which the book received its name, the problems attached to contemporary history writing, etcetera. The main part of the paper consists of an investigation into Loader's historical approach to the Old Testament.