Preview of The Book of Bebb Summary:

The themes that frequent the novels of Frederick Buechner are directly related to the values expressed in his sermons and theological works. Buechner, an ordained Presbyterian minister, was educated at Union Theological Seminary. As a seminarian, he studied under James Muilenberg, a popular interpreter of the Old Testament prophets. He was also influenced by the work of several renowned figures in the history of Protestant theology. In Kierkegaard, Buechner read of the crisis of meaning in human life that could lead to an encounter with God.

From Swiss theologian Karl Barth, Buechner learned to emphasize Christianity as a unique purveyor of truth and the importance of God's grace as the source of salvation for men and women. Paul Johannes Tillich provided Buechner with the conviction that sin is a consequence of the attitudes and behavior men and women exhibit in personal relationships.

The Book of Bebb enables Buechner...