Frederick Buechner
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Carl Frederick Buechner ( ; July 11, 1926 – August 15, 2022) was an American
author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
,
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
minister,
preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach components such as a ...
, and
theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
. The author of thirty-nine published books, his work encompassed different genres, including fiction, autobiography, essays and sermons, and his career spanned more than six decades. He was best known for his novels, including '' A Long Day's Dying'', ''
The Book of Bebb ''The Book of Bebb'' is a tetralogy of novels by the American author and theologian, Frederick Buechner. Published in 1971 by Atheneum, New York, ''Lion Country'' is the first in the ''Book of Bebb'' series. It was followed by ''Open Heart'' (197 ...
'', '' Godric'' (1981
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
finalist), and ''
Brendan Brendan may refer to: People * Saint Brendan the Navigator (c. 484 – c. 577) was an Irish monastic saint. * Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above * Brendan (given name), a masculine given na ...
'', his memoirs, including ''The Sacred Journey'' and ''
Telling Secrets ''Telling Secrets'' (a.k.a. ''Contract for Murder'') is a 1993 American television film directed by Marvin J. Chomsky and starring Cybill Shepherd. It is based on the true story of Joy Aylor, who plots the murder of her adulterous husband's mist ...
,'' and his theological works, such as '' Secrets in the Dark'', ''
The Magnificent Defeat ''The Magnificent Defeat'' is a collection of meditations on Christianity and faith by Frederick Buechner. It was first conceived as a series of sermons, delivered at the Phillips Exeter Academy throughout 1959. It was subsequently published by S ...
'', and '' Telling the Truth''. Buechner was named "without question one of the truly great writers of the 20th century" by viaLibri, a "major talent" by ''
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'', and "one of our most original storytellers" by ''
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''.
Annie Dillard Annie Dillard (born April 30, 1945) is an American author, best known for her narrative prose in both fiction and non-fiction. She has published works of poetry, essays, prose, and literary criticism, as well as two novels and one memoir. Her 19 ...
(Pulitzer Prize-winning author of ''
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek ''Pilgrim at Tinker Creek'' is a 1974 nonfiction narrative book by American author Annie Dillard. Told from a first-person point of view, the book details Dillard's explorations near her home, and various contemplations on nature and life. Th ...
'') called him "one of our finest writers." Buechner's works are often compared to
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and
G.K. Chesterton Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English writer, philosopher, Christian apologist, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the "prince of paradox". Of his writing style, ''Time'' observed: "Wh ...
. His works have been translated into many languages. Buechner was also a finalist for the
National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...
, presented by the
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and the
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
, and has been awarded eight honorary degrees from such institutions as
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
and the
Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, located at 3737 Seminary Road in Alexandria, Virginia is the largest and second oldest accredited Episcopal seminary in the Unit ...
. In addition, Buechner was the recipient of the
O. Henry Award The O. Henry Award is an annual American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American short-story writer O. Henry. The ''PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories'' is an annual collection of the year's twenty best ...
, the Rosenthal Award, the Christianity and Literature Belles Lettres Prize, and was recognized by the
American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headq ...
.


Life and career


Early life

Carl Frederick Buechner, the eldest son of Katherine Golay (Kuhn) and Carl Frederick Buechner Sr., was born on July 11, 1926, in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. During Buechner's early childhood the family moved frequently, as Buechner's father searched for work. In '' The Sacred Journey'', Buechner recalls that "Virtually every year of my life until I was fourteen, I lived in a different place, had different people to take care of me, went to a different school. The only house that remained constant was the one where my maternal grandparents lived in a suburb of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
called East Liberty ... Apart from that one house on Woodland Road, home was not a place to me when I was a child. It was people." This changed in 1936, when Buechner's father committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, a result of his conviction that he had been a failure.


Bermuda

Immediately following his father's death, the family moved to
Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...
, where they remained until
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
forced the evacuation of Americans from the island. In Bermuda, Buechner experienced "the blessed relief of coming out of the dark and unmentionable sadness of my father's life and death into fragrance and greenness and light". For a young Buechner, Bermuda became home. Bermuda left a lasting impression on Buechner. The distinctly British flavor of pre-World War II Bermuda provided in him a lifelong appreciation of English custom and culture, which would later inspire such works as '' Godric'' and ''Brendan''. Buechner also frequently mentions Bermuda in his memoirs, including ''Telling Secrets'' and ''The Sacred Journey''.


Education and military service

Buechner then attended the
Lawrenceville School The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational preparatory school for boarding and day students located in the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. Lawrenceville is a member of the Eight Schoo ...
in
Lawrenceville, New Jersey Lawrenceville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States.
, graduating in 1943. While at Lawrenceville, he met the future
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
winning poet
James Merrill James Ingram Merrill (March 3, 1926 – February 6, 1995) was an American poet. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1977 for ''Divine Comedies.'' His poetry falls into two distinct bodies of work: the polished and formalist lyri ...
; their friendship and rivalry inspired the literary ambitions of both. As
Mel Gussow Melvyn Hayes "Mel" Gussow (; December 19, 1933 – April 29, 2005) was an American theater critic, movie critic, and author who wrote for ''The New York Times'' for 35 years. Biography Gussow was born in New York City and grew up in Rockville ...
wrote in Merrill's 1995 obituary: "their friendly competition was an impetus for each becoming a writer." Buechner then enrolled at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
. His college career was interrupted by—in Buechner's words—"two years of very undistinguished service" (1944–46) in the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, "all of it at several different places in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
," including a post as "chief of the statistical section in Camp Pickett,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
." After the war, he returned to Princeton and graduated with an A.B. in English in 1948 after completing a 77-page senior thesis titled "Notes of the Function of
Metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wit ...
in English Poetry." However, as an alumnus, he remained identified as a member of his original Class of 1947. Regarding his time at
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
, Buechner commented in an interview:


Literary success and ordination

During his senior year at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
, Buechner received the Irene Glascock Prize for poetry, and he also began working on his first novel and one of his greatest critical successes: ''A Long Day's Dying'', published in 1950. The contrast between the success of his first novel and the commercial failure of his second, ''The Seasons' Difference'' (1952), a novel with characters based on Buechner and his adolescent friend James Merrill which developed a more explicit Christian theme, was palpably felt by the young novelist, and it was on this note that Buechner left his teaching position at Lawrenceville to move to New York City and focus on his writing career. In 1952, Buechner began lecturing at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
, and once again received critical acclaim for his short story "The Tiger," published in
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
, which won the
O. Henry Award The O. Henry Award is an annual American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American short-story writer O. Henry. The ''PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories'' is an annual collection of the year's twenty best ...
in 1955. Also during this time, he began attending the
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church is a member church of the Presbyterian Church (USA), located at 73rd Street and Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side of New York City. In 1927 George Arthur Buttrick succeeded Henry Sloane Coffin as minister. ...
, where George Buttrick was pastor. It was during one of Buttrick's sermons that Buechner heard the words that inspired his ordination: Buttrick described the inward coronation of
Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
as taking place in the hearts of those who believe in him "among confession, and tears, and great laughter." The impact of this phrase on Buechner was so great that he eventually entered the Union Theological Seminary in 1954, on a Rockefeller Brothers Theological Fellowship. While at Union, Buechner studied under such renowned theologians as
Reinhold Niebuhr Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (June 21, 1892 – June 1, 1971) was an American Reformed theologian, ethicist, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. Niebuhr was one of Ameri ...
,
Paul Tillich Paul Johannes Tillich (August 20, 1886 – October 22, 1965) was a German-American Christian existentialist philosopher, religious socialist, and Lutheran Protestant theologian who is widely regarded as one of the most influential theologi ...
, and
James Muilenburg James Muilenburg (1 June 1896 – 10 May 1974) was a pioneer in the field of rhetorical criticism of the Old Testament. Muilenburg was born in Orange City, Iowa, and studied at Hope College, the University of Nebraska, and Yale University. He taug ...
, who helped Buechner in his search for understanding: Buechner's decision to enter the
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
had come as a great surprise to those who knew him. Even George Buttrick, whose words had so inspired Buechner, observed that, "It would be a shame to lose a good novelist for a mediocre preacher." Nevertheless, Buechner's ministry and writing have ever since served to enhance each other's message. Following his first year at Union, Buechner decided to take the 1955-6 school year off to continue his writing. In the spring of 1955, shortly before he left Union for the year, Buechner met his wife Judith at a dance given by some family friends. They were married a year later by
James Muilenburg James Muilenburg (1 June 1896 – 10 May 1974) was a pioneer in the field of rhetorical criticism of the Old Testament. Muilenburg was born in Orange City, Iowa, and studied at Hope College, the University of Nebraska, and Yale University. He taug ...
in Montclair, N.J., and spent the next four months traveling in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. During this year, Buechner also completed his third novel, ''The Return of Ansel Gibbs''. After his
sabbatical A sabbatical (from the Hebrew: (i.e., Sabbath); in Latin ; Greek: ) is a rest or break from work. The concept of the sabbatical is based on the Biblical practice of ''shmita'' (sabbatical year), which is related to agriculture. According to ...
, Buechner returned to Union to complete the two further years necessary to receive a
Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...
. He was ordained on June 1, 1958 at the same
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church is a member church of the Presbyterian Church (USA), located at 73rd Street and Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side of New York City. In 1927 George Arthur Buttrick succeeded Henry Sloane Coffin as minister. ...
where he had heard George Buttrick preach four years earlier. Buechner was ordained as an
evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a c ...
, or minister without pastoral charge. Shortly before graduation, as he considered his future role as minister of a parish, he received a letter from Robert Russell Wicks, formerly the Dean of the Chapel at
Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
, who had since begun serving as school minister at
Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...
. Wicks offered him the job of instituting a new, full-time religion department at
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
; Buechner decided to take the opportunity to return to teaching and to develop a program that taught religion in depth.


Exeter

In September 1958, the Buechners moved to
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
. There, Buechner faced the challenge of creating a new religion department and academically rigorous curriculum that would challenge the often cynical views of his new students. "My job, as I saw it, was to defend the
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
faith against its 'cultured despisers,' to use
Schleiermacher Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (; 21 November 1768 – 12 February 1834) was a German Reformed theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar known for his attempt to reconcile the criticisms of the Enlightenment with traditional ...
's phrase. To put it more positively, it was to present the faith as appealingly, honestly, relevantly, and skillfully as I could." During his tenure at Exeter, Buechner taught courses in both the
Religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
and English departments, and served as school
chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
and minister. Also during this time, the family grew to include three daughters. For the school year 1963-4, the Buechners took a sabbatical on their farm in
Rupert, Vermont Rupert is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 698 at the 2020 census. The town is home tThe Maple News a trade publication focused on the maple syrup industry, and the former Jenks Tavern, built around 1807, ...
, during which time Buechner returned to his writing; his fourth book, ''The Final Beast'', was published in 1965. As the first book he had written since his ordination, ''The Final Beast'' represented a new style for Buechner, one in which he combined his dual callings as minister and as author. Buechner recalls of his accomplishments at
Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
: "All told, we were there for nine years with one year's leave of absence tucked in the middle, and by the time we left, the religion department had grown from only one full-time teacher, namely myself, and about twenty students, to four teachers and something in the neighborhood, as I remember, of three hundred students or more." Among these students was the future author
John Irving John Winslow Irving (born John Wallace Blunt Jr.; March 2, 1942) is an American-Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of ''The World According to G ...
, who included a quotation from Buechner as an epigraph of his book ''
A Prayer for Owen Meany ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. ...
''. One of Buechner's biographers, Marjorie Casebier McCoy, describes the effect of his time at Exeter as follows: "Buechner in his sermons had been attempting to reach out to the "cultured despisers of religion." The students and faculty at
Phillips Exeter (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...
had been, for the most part, just that when he had arrived at the school, and it had been they who compelled him to hone his preaching and literary skills to their utmost in order to get a hearing for
Christian faith Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global populat ...
."


Vermont and last years

In the summer of 1967, after nine years at Exeter and having established the Religion Department, Buechner moved with his family to their farmhouse in
Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
to live year-round. Buechner describes their house in '' Now and Then'': There Buechner dedicated himself full-time to writing. However, in 1968, Buechner received a letter from Charles Price, the chaplain at
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, inviting him to give the Noble Lectures series in the winter of 1969. His predecessors in this role included Richard Niebuhr and George Buttrick, and Buechner was both flattered and daunted by the idea of joining so august a group. When he voiced his concerns, Price replied that he should write "something in the area of 'religion and letters. Thence came the idea to write about the everyday events of life, Buechner writes in ''Now and Then'': "as the alphabet through which God, of his grace, spells out his words, his meaning, to us. So '' The Alphabet of Grace'' was the title I hit upon, and what I set out to do was to try to describe a single representative day of my life in a way to suggest what there was of God to hear in it." Buechner continued to publish occasionally; his last book, ''A Crazy, Holy Grace: The Healing Power of Pain and Memory'', a collection of essays, was released in 2017. Buechner died on August 15, 2022, at his home in
Rupert, Vermont Rupert is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 698 at the 2020 census. The town is home tThe Maple News a trade publication focused on the maple syrup industry, and the former Jenks Tavern, built around 1807, ...
.


Writing


Early writing

The publication of ''A Long Day's Dying'' catapulted Buechner into early and, in his own words, "undeserved" fame. Of his debut novel, Buechner wrote: Conductor and composer
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...
commented on the novel: ''A Long Day's Dying'' continues to be one of Buechner's most successful works, both critically and commercially (it was reissued in 2003). However, his second novel, ''The Season's Difference'', published in 1952, in Buechner's words, "fared as badly as the first one had fared well." The publication of Buechner's third novel, ''The Return of Ansel Gibbs'' (written while on sabbatical from Union Theological Seminary) coincided with Buechner's ordination and move to Exeter, where he began to publish non-fiction.


Nonfiction and memoirs

Buechner's works of non-fiction, which cover several sub-genres including sermons, daily reflections, and
memoirs A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...
, altogether outnumber his works of fiction. His first such work, ''
The Magnificent Defeat ''The Magnificent Defeat'' is a collection of meditations on Christianity and faith by Frederick Buechner. It was first conceived as a series of sermons, delivered at the Phillips Exeter Academy throughout 1959. It was subsequently published by S ...
'', is a collection of sermons, signifying his growth into his career as a minister at Exeter. Throughout his career, he published several more volumes of sermons, most recently '' Secrets in the Dark: a life in sermons'', which includes a "more or less hronologicalculling" of his sermons, "together with the most recent and hitherto unpublished ones." To date, Buechner's corpus of memoir includes four volumes: '' The Sacred Journey'' (1982), '' Now and Then'' (1983), ''
Telling Secrets ''Telling Secrets'' (a.k.a. ''Contract for Murder'') is a 1993 American television film directed by Marvin J. Chomsky and starring Cybill Shepherd. It is based on the true story of Joy Aylor, who plots the murder of her adulterous husband's mist ...
'' (1991), and '' The Eyes of the Heart'' (1999). Of all his books, ''The Sacred Journey'' and ''Telling Secrets'' consistently rank among his bestselling. Of his interest in memoir, Buechner wrote in the introduction to ''The Sacred Journey'': Buechner's most recent publications include ''Buechner 101: Essays and Sermons by Frederick Buechner'' (2014), ''The Remarkable Ordinary: How to Stop, Look, and Listen to Life'' (2017), and ''A Crazy, Holy Grace: The Healing Power of Pain and Memory'' (2017).


Later novels: ''The Book of Bebb'', ''Godric'', ''Brendan''

Concurrent with Buechner's delivery of the Noble Lectures, he developed the most significant character of his later career, Leo Bebb. ''
The Book of Bebb ''The Book of Bebb'' is a tetralogy of novels by the American author and theologian, Frederick Buechner. Published in 1971 by Atheneum, New York, ''Lion Country'' is the first in the ''Book of Bebb'' series. It was followed by ''Open Heart'' (197 ...
'' tetralogy proved to be one of Buechner's most well-known works. Published in the years from 1972–1977, it brought Buechner to a much wider audience, and gained him very positive reviews (''
Lion Country ''Lion Country'' is a novel by Frederick Buechner, and the first in the ''Book of Bebb'' series. ''Lion Country'' was written in 1971, and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction in 1972. ''Lion Country'' is written in the first ...
'', the first book in the series, was a finalist for the
National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...
in 1971). Of writing the series, Buechner says: "I had never known a man like Leo Bebb and was in most ways quite unlike him myself, but despite that, there was very little I had to do by way of consciously, purposefully inventing him. He came, unexpected and unbidden, from a part of myself no less mysterious and inaccessible than the part where dreams come from; and little by little there came with him a whole world of people and places that was as heretofore unknown to me as Bebb was himself." In this series, Buechner experimented for the first time with first-person narrative, and discovered that this, too, opened new doors. His next work, ''Godric'', published in 1980, was nominated for the
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
. The novel, a historical fiction, is written in the first person from the perspective of Saint Godric of Finchale, a 12th-century English hermit. ''Brendan'' (1987), a work of historical fiction like ''Godric'', draws from the life of the 6th-century
Irish monk The Hiberno-Scottish mission was a series of expeditions in the 6th and 7th centuries by Gaels, Gaelic Missionary, missionaries originating from Ireland that spread Celtic Christianity in Scotland, Wales, History of Anglo-Saxon England, England ...
Saint Brendan the Navigator Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 - c.577), is one of the early Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is also referred to as Brendan the Navigator, Brendan the Voyager, Brendan the Anchorite, Brendan the Bold. The ...
. Experimenting further with the narrative technique Buechner employed to such dramatic effect in ''Godric'', ''Brendan'' interweaves history and legend in an evocative portrayal of the sixth-century
Irish saint This is a list of the saints of Ireland, which attempts to give an overview of saints from Ireland or venerated in Ireland. The vast majority of these saints lived during the 4th–10th centuries, the period of early Christian Ireland, when Celti ...
as seen through the eyes of Finn, his childhood friend and loyal follower. Buechner's colorful recreation of the
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
world of fifteen hundred years ago earned him the
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and Literature Belles Lettres Prize in 1987.


Tributes and legacy

In 2001, Californian rock band
Daniel Amos Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter (musician), Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. ...
released a double album titled '' Mr. Buechner's Dream''. The album contains over thirty songs and pays tribute to Frederick Buechner, "who has been a major inspiration on the band's lyrics for years." In the words of The Reverend Samuel Lloyd, former dean of
Washington National Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Washington, D.C., the cap ...
, Buechner's words "have nurtured the lives of untold seekers and followers" through "his capacity to see into the heart of every day":Lloyd, Samuel(April 5, 2006). ''The Art of the Sermon: a Tribute to Frederick Buechner.'' Buechner's combination of literary style with approachable subject matter has affected contemporary
Christian literature Christian literature is the literary aspect of Christian media, and it constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing. Scripture While falling within the strict definition of literature, the Bible is not generally considered literature. Ho ...
: "In my view," writes his biographer Marjorie McCoy, "Buechner is doing a distinctively new thing on the literary scene, writing novels that are theologically exciting without becoming propaganda, and doing theology with artistic style and imagination." Buechner's earliest works, written before his entrance into Union Theological Seminary, were hailed as profoundly literary works, notable for their dense, descriptive style. Of his first novel, ''A Long Day's Dying'',
David Daiches David Daiches (2 September 1912 – 15 July 2005) was a Scottish literary historian and literary critic, scholar and writer. He wrote extensively on English literature, Scottish literature and Scottish culture. Early life He was born in Sunder ...
wrote: "There is a quality of civilized perception here, a sensitive and plastic handling of English prose and an ability to penetrate to the evanescent core of a human situation, all proclaiming major talent." From this promising beginning, however, it has been the application of Buechner's literary talent to theological issues that has continued to fascinate his audience: Of his more recent style, the pastor and author Brian D. McLaren says: Throughout Buechner's work his hallmark as a theologian and autobiographer is his regard for the appearance of the divine in daily life. By examining the day-to-day workings of his own life, Buechner seeks to find God's hand at work, thus leading his audience by example to similar introspection. The Reverend Samuel Lloyd describes his "capacity to see into the heart of every day," an ability that reflects the significance of daily events onto the reader's life as well. In the words of the preacher
Barbara Brown Taylor Barbara Brown Taylor (born 1951) is an American Episcopal priest, academic, and author. In 2014, ''Time'' magazine placed her in its annual ''Time'' 100 list of most influential people in the world. Education and recognition Taylor was born on ...
: "From uechnerI've learned that the only limit to the revelation going on all around me is my willingness to turn aside and look."


Buechner Writer's Workshop at Princeton

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of ...
hosts an annual Buechner Writing Workshop. The workshop is designed to "encourage, educate, and inspire writers to communicate their
Christian faith Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global populat ...
with clarity and power in the tradition of Frederick Buechner". Past speakers have included authors such as
Barbara Brown Taylor Barbara Brown Taylor (born 1951) is an American Episcopal priest, academic, and author. In 2014, ''Time'' magazine placed her in its annual ''Time'' 100 list of most influential people in the world. Education and recognition Taylor was born on ...
,
Rachel Held Evans Rachel Held Evans (née Rachel Grace Held; June 8, 1981 – May 4, 2019) was an American Christian columnist, blogger and author. Her book ''A Year of Biblical Womanhood'' was a ''New York Times'' bestseller in e-book non-fiction, and ''Searchi ...
, Philip Gulley, M. Craig Barnes,
Philip Yancey Philip Yancey (born November 4, 1949) is an American author who writes primarily about spiritual issues. His books have sold more than 15 million copies in English and have been translated into 40 languages, making him one of the best-selling con ...
, and
Kathleen Norris Kathleen Thompson Norris (July 16, 1880 – January 18, 1966) was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. She was one of the most widely read and highest paid female writers in the United States for nearly fifty years, from 1911 to 1959. N ...
..


Buechner Institute at King University

Inaugurated in 2008 at
King University King University is a private Presbyterian-affiliated university in Bristol, Tennessee. Founded in 1867, King is independently governed with covenant affiliations to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). H ...
, the former King College, the Buechner Institute was dedicated to the work and example of Buechner, exploring the intersections and collisions of faith and culture that define our times. Dale Brown, the founding director of the Buechner Institute, was the author of numerous articles and the recent critical biography, ''The Book of Buechner: A Journey Through His Writings''. The Buechner Institute sponsored weekly convocations in Memorial Chapel on the campus of King University that featured speakers from a variety of backgrounds who examined the ways in which faith informs art and public life and cultivate conversation about what faith has to do with books, politics, social discourse, music, visual arts, and more. Additionally, the Buechner Institute sponsored the Annual Buechner Lecture. The following is the list of lecturers invited to speak thus far: * 2008: Frederick Buechner (inaugural lecture) * 2009:
Barbara Brown Taylor Barbara Brown Taylor (born 1951) is an American Episcopal priest, academic, and author. In 2014, ''Time'' magazine placed her in its annual ''Time'' 100 list of most influential people in the world. Education and recognition Taylor was born on ...
* 2010: Ron Hansen * 2011:
Katherine Paterson Katherine Womelsdorf Paterson (born October 31, 1932) is an American writer best known for children's novels, including '' Bridge to Terabithia''. For four different books published 1975-1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Aw ...
* 2012:
Marilynne Robinson Marilynne Summers Robinson (born November 26, 1943) is an American novelist and essayist. Across her writing career, Robinson has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005, National Humanities Medal in 2012, and ...
* 2013:
Kathleen Norris (poet) Kathleen Norris (born July 27, 1947) is a poet and essayist. Biography Kathleen Norris was born in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 1947. As a child, Norris moved to Hawaii with her parents, John Norris and Lois Totten, and in 1965 graduated from ...
* 2013:
Doug Worgul Doug Worgul (born September 13, 1953) is an American writer and editor living in Kansas City. Early life and education Raised in Battle Creek and Lansing, Michigan, Worgul is the oldest of three siblings. He graduated from J.W. Sexton High ...
A summer symposium on the work of Frederick Buechner, Buechnerfest, was featured in 2010 and 2012. Attendees from around the country spent a week of reading and entertainment on the Virginia/Tennessee border. The work of the institute was guided by a local governing board and a national advisory board. National board members included
Doris Betts Doris Betts (June 4, 1932 – April 21, 2012) was a short story writer, novelist, essayist and Alumni Distinguished Professor Emerita at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the author of three short story collections and six novels ...
,
Walter Brueggemann Walter Brueggemann (born March 11, 1933) is an American Protestant Old Testament scholar and theologian who is widely considered one of the most influential Old Testament scholars of the last several decades. His work often focuses on the Hebrew p ...
,
Scott Cairns Scott Clifford Cairns (born 1954 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American poet, memoirist, librettist, and essayist. Formal education Cairns earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Washington University (1977), a Master of Arts degree from H ...
,
Michael Card Michael Card (born April 11, 1957) is an American, Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in contemporary Christian music, which combine folk-style melod ...
, Elizabeth Dewberry,
Tim Gautreaux Timothy Martin Gautreaux (born 1947 in Morgan City, Louisiana) is a novelist and short story writer. His writing has appeared in ''The New Yorker'', ''Best American Short Stories'', ''The Atlantic'', '' Harper's'', and '' GQ''. His novel ''The N ...
, Philip Gulley, Ron Hansen,
Roy Herron Roy Herron (born September 30, 1953) is an American politician, attorney and author. He is the former Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. He was the Tennessee State Senator for the 24th district for 16 years and for 10 years before tha ...
,
Silas House Silas Dwane House (born August 7, 1971) is an American writer best known for his novels. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist, and columnist. House's fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working class characte ...
, Richard Hughes,
Thomas G. Long Thomas Grier Long (born in 1946) is the Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his BA degree from Erskine College in 1968, the Master of Divinity from Erskine Theological Semi ...
, Tom Lynch,
Brian McLaren Brian D. McLaren (born 1956) is an American pastor, author, speaker, and leading figure in the emerging church movement. McLaren is also associated with postmodern Christianity. Education and career Raised in Rockville, Maryland in the conservat ...
,
Carrie Newcomer Carrie Newcomer is an American singer, songwriter and author. She has produced 19 solo CDs and has received numerous awards for her music and related charitable activities. She has done numerous collaborations with authors, academics, philosop ...
,
Kathleen Norris Kathleen Thompson Norris (July 16, 1880 – January 18, 1966) was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. She was one of the most widely read and highest paid female writers in the United States for nearly fifty years, from 1911 to 1959. N ...
,
Katherine Paterson Katherine Womelsdorf Paterson (born October 31, 1932) is an American writer best known for children's novels, including '' Bridge to Terabithia''. For four different books published 1975-1980, she won two Newbery Medals and two National Book Aw ...
,
Eugene H. Peterson Eugene Hoiland Peterson (November 6, 1932 – October 22, 2018) was an American Presbyterian minister, scholar, theologian, author, and poet. He wrote over 30 books, including the Gold Medallion Book Award–winner '' The Message: The Bible in ...
, Charles Pollard,
Barbara Brown Taylor Barbara Brown Taylor (born 1951) is an American Episcopal priest, academic, and author. In 2014, ''Time'' magazine placed her in its annual ''Time'' 100 list of most influential people in the world. Education and recognition Taylor was born on ...
, Will Willimon, John Wilson,
Philip Yancey Philip Yancey (born November 4, 1949) is an American author who writes primarily about spiritual issues. His books have sold more than 15 million copies in English and have been translated into 40 languages, making him one of the best-selling con ...
,
Doug Worgul Doug Worgul (born September 13, 1953) is an American writer and editor living in Kansas City. Early life and education Raised in Battle Creek and Lansing, Michigan, Worgul is the oldest of three siblings. He graduated from J.W. Sexton High ...
, and others. In 2015, following the death of Dale Brown, King University changed the name of the Buechner Institute to The Institute of Faith and Culture.


In the media

Buechner's work has been praised highly by many reviewers of books, with the distinct exception of his second novel, ''The Season's Difference'', which was universally panned by critics and remains his biggest commercial flop. His later novels, including the '' Book of Bebb'' series and '' Godric'', received praise; in his 1980 review of ''Godric'', Benjamin DeMott summed up a host of positive reviews, saying "All on his own, Mr. Buechner has managed to reinvent projects of self-purification and of faith as piquant matter for contemporary fiction, producing in a single decade a quintet of books each of which is individual in concerns and knowledge, and notable for literary finish." In 1982, author
Reynolds Price Edward Reynolds Price (February 1, 1933 – January 20, 2011) was an American poet, novelist, dramatist, essayist and James B. Duke Professor of English at Duke University. Apart from English literature, Price had a lifelong interest in Biblical ...
greeted Buechner's ''The Sacred Journey'' as "a rich new vein for Buechner – a kind of detective autobiography" and " e result is a short but fascinating and, in its own terms, beautifully successful experiment." Buechner has occasionally been accused of being too "preachy;" a 1984 review by
Anna Shapiro Anna Davida Shapiro (born March 10, 1966) is an American theater director, was the artistic director of the Steppenwolf Theater Company, and a professor at Northwestern University. Throughout her career, she has directed both the Steppenwolf The ...
in the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
notes "But for all the colloquialism, there is something, well, preachy and a little unctuous about making yourself an exemplar of faith. Insights that would do for a paragraph are dragged out with a doggedness that will presumably bring the idea home to even the most resistant and inattentive." The sentiments expressed by
Cecelia Holland Cecelia Holland (born December 31, 1943) is an American historical fiction novelist. Early life and education Holland was born December 31, 1943, in Henderson, Nevada. She grew up in Metuchen, New Jersey, where she started writing at age 12, rec ...
's 1987 ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' review of Buechner's novel, ''Brendan'', are far more common. She writes,"In our own time, when religion is debased, an electronic game show, an insult to the thirsty soul, Buechner's novel proves again the power of faith, to lift us up, to hold us straight, to send us on again." In 2008 Rich Barlowe wrote of Buechner in ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'', "Who knows? The words are Frederick Buechner's mantra. Over the course of an hourlong chat with the writer and Presbyterian minister in his kitchen, they recur any number of times in response to questions about his faith and theology.
Dogmatic Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Isla ...
religious believers would dismiss the two words as the warning shot of doubt. But for Buechner, it is precisely our doubts and struggles that mark us as human. And that insight girds his theological twist on
Socrates Socrates (; ; –399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no te ...
: The unexamined human life is a lost chance to behold the divine." In 2002,
Richard Kauffman Richard L. Kauffman (born February 10, 1955) is the first New York State "energy czar," officially referred to as the ''Chairman of Energy and Finance for New York'' in the administration of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In this role, Kauffman ...
interviewed Buechner for ''
The Christian Century ''The Christian Century'' is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of US mainline Protestantism, the monthly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews ...
'' upon the publication of '' Speak What We Feel (Not What We Ought to Say)''. Buechner answered the question "Do you envision a particular audience when you write?" by saying "I always hope to reach people who don't want to touch religion with a ten-foot pole. The cultured despisers of religion,
Schleiermacher Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (; 21 November 1768 – 12 February 1834) was a German Reformed theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar known for his attempt to reconcile the criticisms of the Enlightenment with traditional ...
called them. Maybe some of my books reach them. But most of my readers, as far as I can tell, aren't that type. Many of them are ministers. They say, 'You've given us something back we lost and opened up doors we didn't think could be opened for people.'"Kauffman, Richard (September 11, 2002)
"Ordained to Write: An Interview with Frederick Buechner"
. Retrieved December 17, 2018.


Bibliography


Selected bibliography

* '' A Long Day's Dying'', 1950 () * ''
The Magnificent Defeat ''The Magnificent Defeat'' is a collection of meditations on Christianity and faith by Frederick Buechner. It was first conceived as a series of sermons, delivered at the Phillips Exeter Academy throughout 1959. It was subsequently published by S ...
'', 1966 () * '' Telling the Truth: the Gospel as tragedy, comedy, and fairy tale'', 1977 () * ''
The Book of Bebb ''The Book of Bebb'' is a tetralogy of novels by the American author and theologian, Frederick Buechner. Published in 1971 by Atheneum, New York, ''Lion Country'' is the first in the ''Book of Bebb'' series. It was followed by ''Open Heart'' (197 ...
'', 1979 () * '' Godric'', 1980 () * '' The Sacred Journey'', 1982 () * ''
Brendan Brendan may refer to: People * Saint Brendan the Navigator (c. 484 – c. 577) was an Irish monastic saint. * Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above * Brendan (given name), a masculine given na ...
'', 1987 () * '' Telling Secrets, a Memoir'', 1991 () * ''Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner'', 1992 () * ''Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons'', 2006 ()


See also

*
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...
*
Henri Nouwen Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (January 24, 1932 – September 21, 1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian. His interests were rooted primarily in psychology, pastoral ministry, spirituality, social justice and commu ...
*
John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...
*
Emerging church The emerging church is a Christian Protestant movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries that crosses a number of theological boundaries: participants are variously described as Protestant, post-Protestant, evangelical, post-evangelical, l ...


References


External links


Frederick Buechner Center
part of a film made about Buechner in 2003
A faith to live and die with , Sojourners , Find Articles at BNET
A faith to live and die with by Dale Brown
Frederick Buechner Papers, 1926–2006 , Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections
The Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections
The Buechner Institute at King College


Profile: Frederick Buechner

by ReadTheSpirit.com

by ReadTheSpirit.com
"The Opening of Veins", 1990 Whiting Writers' Award Keynote Speech
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Buechner, Frederick 1926 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American poets 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American theologians 20th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American poets 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American theologians 21st-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians American autobiographers American Calvinist and Reformed theologians American male novelists American male poets American religious novelists Christian writers Glascock Prize winners Military personnel from New York City Novelists from New York (state) Novelists from Vermont Writers from New York City Phillips Exeter Academy faculty Presbyterian Church (USA) teaching elders Union Theological Seminary (New York City) alumni American theologians Presbyterian ministers Princeton University alumni Lawrenceville School alumni American male non-fiction writers American historical novelists Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages American expatriates in the United Kingdom United States Army personnel of World War II