Buechner Society of Bermuda » Books

The Sacred Journey: A Memoir of Early Days

mcloyd — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:03:30 +0000

Buechner captures his childhood, his father’s suicide, and his life leading to his decision to enter seminary, showing how God speaks to us every moment of every day.

“A singularly graceful synthesis of memoir and theological explanation… Entrancing… poetically rich.”–Washington Post Book World

“Fascinating … striking … a beautifully successful experiment.”–New York Times Book Review

“A candid self-portrait of a devout man.”–Philadelphia Inquirer

Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation

mcloyd — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:02:37 +0000

In his second volume of memoirs, Buechner tells his story of finding vocation at seminary days and early ministry, and the evolution of his life as a writer.

“Strikes to the heart. … Unpreachy meditations on life and Christianity at its most profound.”–People Magazine

“Buechner writes better than almost anyone. … Deep within it, as we read, the sun shines and the constellations rove.”–James Merrill

“Buechner is graceful in story and insights.”–Los Angeles Times

“Buechner is a worthy member of the great prose stylists: Pascal, Newman, and Merton, who have harnessed their art to a passionate religious faith.”–Louis Auchincloss

Telling Secrets

mcloyd — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:01:12 +0000

The third volume of Buechner’s memoirs explores his father’s alcohol abuse and traces the influence of secrets on his life as a son, father, husband, minister, and writer.

“Buechner speaks in a sensitive and quietly humorous voice as he describes crises in his life. … Uncommonly rewarding and inspirational.”–Publishers Weekly

“A meditation on the connection between knowing and sharing secrets and discovering the reality of a loving and merciful God.”–Chicago Tribune

“Buechner’s chronicling once again tells us something about what it means to be human.”–Christianity Today

The Eyes of the Heart: A Memoir of the Lost and Found

mcloyd — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:00:59 +0000

The fourth and most recent volume of Buechner’s memoirs addresses friendship and his most personal relationships as he explores the mysteries and truths behind his connections to family, friends, and mentors.

“Old friends and new readers alike will be delighted. … In this extraordinarily moving and beautifully written memoir, Buechner reflects on life, faith, friendship, and family.”–Bookpage

“In this deeply moving memoir, filled with mortality, gratitude, and joy, Buechner invites us to see (as he has seen) with the eyes of the heart.”–Marcus J. Borg, author of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time

“Frederick Buechner is one of my favorite writers. The Eyes of the Heart is beautiful and wise, full of insight, charm, and tenderness.”–Anne Lamott

Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale

mcloyd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:27:49 +0000

Buechner searches for the underlying power of the Gospels and how they reflect God’s relationship to humanity as reflected in literature both sacred and profane.

“You don’t have to be in the habit of going to church to listen to such a literary minister; you don’t have to be a believer to be moved by Mr. Buechner’s faith.”–John Irving

“When I forget the power of the word, I read Frederick Buechner. When I forget the deep relief of telling the truth, I read Frederick Buechner. When I forget to look for the holiness all around me, I read Frederick Buechner. When I forget why the gospel matters, I read Frederick Buechner.”–Barbara Brown Taylor

Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner

mcloyd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:26:06 +0000

A daily reader of inspirational quotes from more than thirty of Buechner’s works, including key passages from novels, sermons, essays, and letters.

“If Frederick Buechner subordinated his nature and chose to write on naughts and nothings, he would still exalt his readers. When he is in representative harmony and writes of the accessibility of God to humanity and of humanity’s agreement with its potential divinity, we, the readers, are lifted up, buoyed up, and promised wholeness. This book is meant to possess, and at the same time liberate, the heart. I’m happy to report it succeeds.”–Maya Angelou

Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC

mcloyd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:25:42 +0000

Bridging from daily life to the language of God, the universe, and the human spirit, Buechner brings his faith, doubts, and laughter to theological wordplay making believers of us all.

“Thoughtful, spirited, entertaining…a dictionary for doubters and restless believers.”–Chicago Tribune

“Original, pungent and joyful.”–The Christian Century

“[Buechner] examines language about God and human life with immense perception, a great economy of words, and an engaging use of irony.”–Methodist Recorder

The Magnificent Defeat

mcloyd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:24:20 +0000

Buechner’s lectures at a New England boarding school provide a platform for his examination of what it means to follow Christ, the lessons of Christmas and Easter, the miracles of grace, and “the magnificent defeat” of the human soul of God.

“These are powerful sermons, designed for the skeptical and inquiring, no less than for the devout.”–Choice

“Combines high writing skill with a profound understanding of Christian essentials.”–New York Times Book Review

“One of today’s most powerful writers on religious themes here offers meditations on key passages of the Old and New Testaments that fuse “rhythmic style, rich imagery, forthright biblical exegesis [and] bring to mind the meditative work of J. B. Phillips and C. S. Lewis.”–Presbyterian Life

Beyond Words: Daily Readings in the ABC’s of Faith

mcloyd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:23:01 +0000

Buechner’s witty and incisive daily devotional dictionary brings fresh perspective to sacred and ordinary words and Biblical characters, offering an enchanted vision of religious life.

“Combines high writing skill with a profound understanding of Christian essentials.”–New York Times Book Review

“Whether reading ‘Beyond Words’ makes for a happier, easier or more fulfilled life, I couldn’t say. This much I know—it does, at least, for the duration of time you’re reading it.”–Jeff Simon

“[A collection] that all preachers, teachers, and seekers will find themselves returning to again and again for spiritual inspiration.”–Spirituality and Health Magazine

The Alphabet of Grace

mcloyd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:22:15 +0000

Buechner’s meditation on a single day of life and how the innermost mysteries interweave our personal, literary, and spiritual lives into a beautiful whole where the momentous becomes trivial and the trivial sacred and life-altering.

“A book by an experienced writer, a novelist, a poet, a clergyman. … The Alphabet of Grace is a small but beautiful whole, ordered by poetic structure.”–Madeleine L’Engle

“Frederick Buechner surprises and delights (and—very softly—teaches) us by giving some shape to apparently random experience by uttering it. …. He has articulated what he sees with a freshness and clarity and energy that hails our stultified imaginations.”–The New York Times Book Review