I know that many conservative Christians believe that the Bible tells one big saving story and work hard to harmonize all its smaller stories and its testimonies. I think a harmonized Bible does not do justice to what it has to offer.
The Rabbi notes that feminists sometimes elevate Vashti at the expense of Esther, whom they see as too docile. Perhaps the Midrash interpretive tradition the Rabbi draws on felt the need to demean Vashti to elevate Esther.
Given that the Bible is an authoritative text given to humanity from God to read, interpret, and apply in its entirety, we are now at the point in this journey when we ask: How can we understand what the Bible is saying?