Abstract

Frederick Buechner has recently become a popular Christian writer. Since 1950 he has published ten novels and nine other inciteful sermonic writings. The purpose of this work is to present and critique the Christian philosophical perspectives found within the writings of Frederick Buechner. It has been determined by the author that in order for one to examine a writer such as Buechner that a case must be established for the study of literature as philosophy. This is the intention of chapter one of this work. At this point the connection between language, thinking, and reality is examined. Second, illustrations from Martin Heidegger and G. W. F. Hegel's description of poetry and prose are made in that both poetry and prose convey a philosophy through language. Then the writer notes R. G. Collingwood's assertion concerning why literature should be considered as philosophy and reasons are given by the writer why literature should be considered as a branch of philosophy. In the final section of this chapter a methodology is given regrading examining a literature writer's philosophy. ;First, in examining a literary writer's philosophy one must note the historical background, precursors of thought, and the importance of a given writer's works. This in the first platform of examination and the subject of chapter two of this work in relation to Frederick Buechner. ;The second platform of examining a literary writer regarding a philosophy is that one must describe a writer's perspectives by theological and philosophical categories. This is the subject of chapter three of this work in relation to Frederick Buechner's works. First, the writer clarifies Buechner's two primary presuppositions that underlie his philosophical approach. These include the audience that he addresses in his works, and his idea that theology is autobiographical. In the latter part of this chapter, Buechner's works are analyzed by the philosophical categories of language, ontology, epistemology, logic, and anthropology. In the final chapter, a critique of Buechner's system is given by the writer concerning the strengths and weaknesses of Buechner's particular approach to Christian apologetics