This article evaluates potential ways in which Hans W. Frei's interpretative approach and his reconstruction of pre-critical hermeneutics can be profitably used in the modem exegesis of the patriarchal narratives, especially of the Abraham Story in Gen 12-25. It begins with a short analysis of the critical voices which have been raised against Frei's theory over the last 30 years. This analysis helps to highlight both the obvious strengths and deficiencies of Frei's approach. Next, the article focuses on the model text of Gen 15 and asks further questions concerning the applicability of pre-critical hermeneutics to biblical narratives. This discussion results in a number of conclusions and in a blueprint for combining traditional and critical approaches within one methodologically correct model.