Author FREDERICK BUECHNER
Publisher HARPER AND ROW
ISBN 0-7011-2645-0
Born in 1926 Buechner is rated as one of the most read American authors of the twentieth century. Many could be described as thorough going ‘fans’ of his books and his continuing readership is typified by the fact that virtually of his books are still available new. This particular one is autobiographical and describes his years up till 1953 when he sensed a distinct call into the Christian ministry. This is a spiritual memoir of those years and describes his ‘journey’ through a distinctly varied and interesting twenty-seven years that had more of its fair share of movement, change, sorrows and loss. For some readers Buechner’s writings contain too much of the ‘journey’ idea. This makes him very acceptable for those from the so-called ‘emergent churches’ including the leaders of those who commend him highly. For others the way he brings theological and doctrinal issues lacks firmness and clarity. It is not so easy to define his writing, the various genres’ he employs, through from novels to autobiographical, to more overtly Christian matters make it difficult, but there is a drawing power always, promoting thoughtfulness in the reader. His insights cannot be described as being on every page, but he attracts the reader into his world and helps us see with greater understanding what life is all about. Words are the things that have always fascinated this author, he is not full of dogmatic assertions but is much more likely to write about the struggles of faith that mark what it means to be a human being. His own confession is that he desires to reach people who would not ‘touch religion with a ten foot pole’ and this statement will help you to do decide whether you want to read him or not. One quote from The Sacred Journey perhaps says it all “all theology, at its heart, is autobiography.’ There are gems to be found in all Buechner’s writings. Those reading him for the first might be captured in a somewhat mysterious way and be constrained to continue with him in his journey and find that there is plenty he writes that finds an echo in their own pondering souls. All his work contains the truth of the divine in daily life, this is a great theme and one greatly needed in days when for many Christians the world and their faith ceaselessly seems to bump each against the other instead of being intimately connected. Just to indicate the respect for this author it is worthy of note that at King College in Tennessee an institute has been set up to the studies of Buechner’s writings. King is an independent college but connected with both the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of America (EPA). This fact indicates the authors’ denominational background.
