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The Faces of Jesus: A Life Story
With timeless insight, Frederick Buechner introduces readers to the Jesus of the Gospels. The old, old story begins to ring new as Buechner revisits the ancient stories and shows us different aspects of the faces of Jesus.
Award-winning author Frederick Buechner retells the stories of the Gospels and reminds us that to see Jesus afresh is to be changed and challenged and to be put back on our feet. The Faces of Jesus is a distinctive and warm-hearted look at this person, this God, this teacher, this wanderer, this man of suffering.
Award-winning author Frederick Buechner retells the stories of the Gospels and reminds us that to see Jesus afresh is to be changed and challenged and to be put back on our feet. The Faces of Jesus is a distinctive and warm-hearted look at this person, this God, this teacher, this wanderer, this man of suffering.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
5 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Frederick Buechner
93 books1,240 followersFrederick Buechner is a highly influential writer and theologian who has won awards for his poetry, short stories, novels and theological writings. His work pioneered the genre of spiritual memoir, laying the groundwork for writers such as Anne Lamott, Rob Bell and Lauren Winner.
His first book, A Long Day's Dying, was published to acclaim just two years after he graduated from Princeton. He entered Union Theological Seminary in 1954 where he studied under renowned theologians that included Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich, and James Muilenberg. In 1955, his short story "The Tiger" which had been published in the New Yorker won the O. Henry Prize.
After seminary he spent nine years at Phillips Exeter Academy, establishing a religion department and teaching courses in both religion and English. Among his students was the future author, John Irving. In 1969 he gave the Noble Lectures at Harvard. He presented a theological autobiography on a day in his life, which was published as The Alphabet of Grace.
In the years that followed he began publishing more novels, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist Godric. At the same time, he was also writing a series of spiritual autobiographies. A central theme in his theological writing is looking for God in the everyday, listening and paying attention, to hear God speak to people through their personal lives.
His first book, A Long Day's Dying, was published to acclaim just two years after he graduated from Princeton. He entered Union Theological Seminary in 1954 where he studied under renowned theologians that included Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich, and James Muilenberg. In 1955, his short story "The Tiger" which had been published in the New Yorker won the O. Henry Prize.
After seminary he spent nine years at Phillips Exeter Academy, establishing a religion department and teaching courses in both religion and English. Among his students was the future author, John Irving. In 1969 he gave the Noble Lectures at Harvard. He presented a theological autobiography on a day in his life, which was published as The Alphabet of Grace.
In the years that followed he began publishing more novels, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist Godric. At the same time, he was also writing a series of spiritual autobiographies. A central theme in his theological writing is looking for God in the everyday, listening and paying attention, to hear God speak to people through their personal lives.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 5, 2015
This was a quick read at only 97 pages. The author seems a bit of a romantic with some thoughtful ideas expressed in visually personal images. It is a good overview of the life of Jesus from beginning to end told in a more intimate way than a lot of books do.
This is meant to be more of a reflection on Christ than a study, more spiritual than religious. Without having read Biblical versions, it might be difficult for someone to know what is really stated in the Bible and what is the author's artistic license. There are a couple of ideas that come out that are from apocryphal books as well. I was hopeful for some of the deeper culturally significant points might come out that help explain some of the moments from His life, but not a lot of that really came out. Overall, I believe this could really speak to some people that read it.
I am glad that the author takes a moment to talk about how many Christians answer the problem of suffering and pain in this world:
This is meant to be more of a reflection on Christ than a study, more spiritual than religious. Without having read Biblical versions, it might be difficult for someone to know what is really stated in the Bible and what is the author's artistic license. There are a couple of ideas that come out that are from apocryphal books as well. I was hopeful for some of the deeper culturally significant points might come out that help explain some of the moments from His life, but not a lot of that really came out. Overall, I believe this could really speak to some people that read it.
I am glad that the author takes a moment to talk about how many Christians answer the problem of suffering and pain in this world:
...if there is the beauty of what is majestic and powerful, there is the beauty also of what is humble and powerless. Like any child, Jesus as a child has one power only and that is the power to love and be loved which is of all the powers the most powerful because it alone can conquer the human heart; at the same time it is of all the powers the most powerless, because it can do nothing except by consent. It is of the very essence of love to leave us free to respond or not to respond because the moment it attempts to force our hand, it is no longer love but coercion, and what it elicits from us is no longer love but obedience. The greatest single argument against the existence of God is the presence of evil in the world, and to the degree that the christian faith attempts to answer it, its answer is all tied up in this....If there is a God, why did he not with his great goodness make things right in the first place, or why does he not with his great power intervene in the affairs of the world to make things right at least in the second place, now? ... God could presumably do these things -- could have turned us out perfectly as an inventor turns out a perfect invention or could step in when we get out of line and move us around like pawns on a chessboard. But as Christianity understands it, God does not want us related to him as an invention to an inventor or pawns to a cosmic kibitzer. ...He wants us in other words to love him, and if our love is to be spontaneous and real, we must be free also not to love him with all its grim consequences of human suffering. Evil exists in the world not because God is indifferent or powerless or absent but because man is free, and free he must be if he is to love freely, free he must be if he is to be human.
July 4, 2016
My first Buechner book.
One of my favorite quotes from the book:
"The man on the cross was a man of flesh, but he was also the WORD made flesh, as John writes it in the great prologue to his Gospel, the Word that 'became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.' The Creator himself comes to dwell within his own creation, the Eternal within the temporal, the Invulnerable within the wound. It is as if Shakespeare could somehow have entered the world of Hamlet, say, the dramatist descending from the infinite dimensions of reality into the dimensionlessness of his own drama, becoming a character in his own plot although he well knows the tragic denouement and submitting himself to all its limitations so that he can burst them asunder when the time comes and lead a tremendous exeunt by which his whole dramatis personae will become true persons at last."
One of my favorite quotes from the book:
"The man on the cross was a man of flesh, but he was also the WORD made flesh, as John writes it in the great prologue to his Gospel, the Word that 'became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.' The Creator himself comes to dwell within his own creation, the Eternal within the temporal, the Invulnerable within the wound. It is as if Shakespeare could somehow have entered the world of Hamlet, say, the dramatist descending from the infinite dimensions of reality into the dimensionlessness of his own drama, becoming a character in his own plot although he well knows the tragic denouement and submitting himself to all its limitations so that he can burst them asunder when the time comes and lead a tremendous exeunt by which his whole dramatis personae will become true persons at last."
January 25, 2014
A stirring way to spend an afternoon--in a cold January, or anytime--but maybe especially in Epiphany! Impressionistic, it leads the reader through the arc of the story of Jesus in a way that teaches, reminds, suggests, explains, and yet leaves lots of room to thoughtfully and/or prayerfully muse and wander. A good read for believers, doubters, seekers and agnostics or atheists-really.
February 5, 2025
Ooo I’ve been so excited to share this review, first of all I think the author has an excellent way to verbalize what he is thinking about Jesus, I’m not so sure if he is a believer of the cross tho which makes this book so fascinating, I have to admit, in some instances I had issues to fully grasp what the writer was trying to communicate, but in other pages I was in awe of the beauty of the words that the author utilized to magnify the glory of the Jesus as a person.
Some lines were dark but even in the darkness of the text you can appreciate the brutality of the life of Jesus
I’m very satisfied and happy to have the chance to run into this book, it will definitely stay in my shelf for future references, meditations. 100% recommended
Some lines were dark but even in the darkness of the text you can appreciate the brutality of the life of Jesus
I’m very satisfied and happy to have the chance to run into this book, it will definitely stay in my shelf for future references, meditations. 100% recommended
June 27, 2024
Buechner’s words, time and again, cut right to the heart of faith, and this book has done that again in my own heart. Considering the human face of Jesus represented by various artists throughout time, Buechner meditates on the of the complex beauty of Jesus, wholly God and wholly human, God taking on flesh, a face, and living alongside us. I have savored this first read and will undoubtedly return to it time and again.
There is a version of this book that contains images of the art he is reflecting on, but mine does not have them. If you could find a copy that does, it would be wonderful, but Buechner’s words paint such vivid pictures that your imaginative spirit can still be deeply touched through the ink on the page.
Every time I read Buechner, I am deeply encouraged to slow down, look for and savor the Living Christ today. I ended this book, reading through tears, the invitation to slow down and dance in His grace today.
There is a version of this book that contains images of the art he is reflecting on, but mine does not have them. If you could find a copy that does, it would be wonderful, but Buechner’s words paint such vivid pictures that your imaginative spirit can still be deeply touched through the ink on the page.
Every time I read Buechner, I am deeply encouraged to slow down, look for and savor the Living Christ today. I ended this book, reading through tears, the invitation to slow down and dance in His grace today.
January 22, 2018
Quick and easy and because it’s from Buechner, always good.
April 26, 2025
Frederick Buechner has been one of my favorite authors for nearly 30 years. From my first encounter with his gifted writing as I read Listening To Your Life, I have found his work to be filled with truth, honesty, transparency, wisdom, encouragement, humor, and revelation. Each book I read of his becomes a treasure that manages to strengthen and expand my faith and understanding of what it truly means to follow Jesus. This book is an outstanding example of his writing at its best. I would recommend this book to others for the art photographs alone, but missing out on his considerations regarding them would be to rob yourself of blessings too many to number. This is such a lovely book and one that I will return to again and again.
September 27, 2017
A short but beautifully written book meandering on the different aspects of Jesus's life, from birth to ministry to death to resurrection. Buechner has a gift for stating things simply and poetically, crafting unwieldy long sentences into something beautiful.
___
At Christmas time it is hard for even the unbeliever not to believe in something, is not in everything. Peace on earth, goodwill to men; a dream of innocence that is good to hold onto even if it is only a dream; the mystery of being a child; the possibility of hope.
For a moment or two, the darkness of disenchantment, cynicism and doubt draw back at least a little, and all the usual worldly witcheries lose something of their power to charm. Maybe we cannot manage to believe the Christmas story with all our hearts. But as long as the moment lasts, we can at least believe that it is of all things the one most believing. And that may not be as far as it sounds from what belief is.
There is another truth, that when the child was born the whole course of human history was changed. That is a truth as unassailable as any truth.
Like any child, Jesus as a child has one power only and that is the power to love and be loved which is of all powers the most powerful because it alone can conquer the human heart; at the same time it is the most powerless, because it can do nothing except by consent. Or is of the very essence of love to leave us free to respond or not, because the moment it attempts to force our hand, it is no longer love but coercion, and what it elicits from us is no longer love but obedience.
Is the doctrine of the divinity of Christ is paradoxical, it is only because the experience was paradoxical first. Much as we may wish otherwise, reality seldom comes to us simple, logical, of a piece. Humans are animal, we must say if we are honest, but they are also more than animal. In honesty we must say that too. If we are determined to speak the plain sense of our experience, we must be willing to risk the charge of speaking were often sounds like nonsense.
One thing at least seems clear. His role as he understood it was not to lead the people in glory but to suffer for them in love.
God makes his saints out of fools and sinners because there is nothing much else to make them out of.
If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the last supper is the mad tea party. The world says Mind Your Own Business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says follow the wisest course and be your own success, and Jesus says Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Law and order, and Jesus says, Love. The world says, get and Jesus says, give. In terms of the world's sanity, Jesus is as crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks he can follow him without being a little crazy too is labouring less under a cross than under a delusion.
Unlike magic where if you say abracadabra right the spell will always work, religion does not make anything always work; and faith cannot be sure of things the way it wants because it is God who makes things happen the way God wants. Faith can only wait in hope and trust. Sometimes God makes himself known by his presence, and sometimes by his absence, and for both faith and unfaith the absence of God is dark and menacing.
Thus for Jesus the only distinction among people that ultimately matters seems to be not whether they are churchgoers or not, Catholics or Protestant, Muslims and Jews, but do they or do they not love. Love not in the sense of an emotion so much as in the sense of an act of will, the loving act of willing another's good even, if need arise, at the expense of their own. "Hell is the suffering of being unable to love." - Father Zossima
___
At Christmas time it is hard for even the unbeliever not to believe in something, is not in everything. Peace on earth, goodwill to men; a dream of innocence that is good to hold onto even if it is only a dream; the mystery of being a child; the possibility of hope.
For a moment or two, the darkness of disenchantment, cynicism and doubt draw back at least a little, and all the usual worldly witcheries lose something of their power to charm. Maybe we cannot manage to believe the Christmas story with all our hearts. But as long as the moment lasts, we can at least believe that it is of all things the one most believing. And that may not be as far as it sounds from what belief is.
There is another truth, that when the child was born the whole course of human history was changed. That is a truth as unassailable as any truth.
Like any child, Jesus as a child has one power only and that is the power to love and be loved which is of all powers the most powerful because it alone can conquer the human heart; at the same time it is the most powerless, because it can do nothing except by consent. Or is of the very essence of love to leave us free to respond or not, because the moment it attempts to force our hand, it is no longer love but coercion, and what it elicits from us is no longer love but obedience.
Is the doctrine of the divinity of Christ is paradoxical, it is only because the experience was paradoxical first. Much as we may wish otherwise, reality seldom comes to us simple, logical, of a piece. Humans are animal, we must say if we are honest, but they are also more than animal. In honesty we must say that too. If we are determined to speak the plain sense of our experience, we must be willing to risk the charge of speaking were often sounds like nonsense.
One thing at least seems clear. His role as he understood it was not to lead the people in glory but to suffer for them in love.
God makes his saints out of fools and sinners because there is nothing much else to make them out of.
If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the last supper is the mad tea party. The world says Mind Your Own Business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says follow the wisest course and be your own success, and Jesus says Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Law and order, and Jesus says, Love. The world says, get and Jesus says, give. In terms of the world's sanity, Jesus is as crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks he can follow him without being a little crazy too is labouring less under a cross than under a delusion.
Unlike magic where if you say abracadabra right the spell will always work, religion does not make anything always work; and faith cannot be sure of things the way it wants because it is God who makes things happen the way God wants. Faith can only wait in hope and trust. Sometimes God makes himself known by his presence, and sometimes by his absence, and for both faith and unfaith the absence of God is dark and menacing.
Thus for Jesus the only distinction among people that ultimately matters seems to be not whether they are churchgoers or not, Catholics or Protestant, Muslims and Jews, but do they or do they not love. Love not in the sense of an emotion so much as in the sense of an act of will, the loving act of willing another's good even, if need arise, at the expense of their own. "Hell is the suffering of being unable to love." - Father Zossima
November 24, 2018
This evening I finished reading Frederick Buechner 's The Faces of Jesus. The book is quite short, so you can read through it in one sitting. It was a very powerful read. I highly recommend it, and other books by Buechner such as Telling Secrets, The Sacred Journey, Godric, Secrets In The Dark, The Alphabet of Grace, and The Gospel as Tragedy Comedy and Fairy Tale.These are a few quotes below from the book that stood out to me,
"If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The world says, Mind your own business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says, Follow the wisest course and be a success, and Jesus says, Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Drive carefully - the life you save may be your own - and Jesus says, Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The world says, Get and Jesus says, Give. In terms of the world's sanity, Jesus is crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks he can follow him without being a little crazy too is laboring less under a cross than under a delusion.
“For all of us there finally comes not just a last time but a whole calendar of last times- the last time we see our child, our friend. The last time we take a walk along the beach or see the rain fall. The last time we make love or write a letter, build a fire, hear our name spoken. It is part of the mercy of things that we rarely know when each last time comes, are never sure when we are saying good-bye for good."- Frederick Buechner
"If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The world says, Mind your own business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says, Follow the wisest course and be a success, and Jesus says, Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Drive carefully - the life you save may be your own - and Jesus says, Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The world says, Get and Jesus says, Give. In terms of the world's sanity, Jesus is crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks he can follow him without being a little crazy too is laboring less under a cross than under a delusion.
“For all of us there finally comes not just a last time but a whole calendar of last times- the last time we see our child, our friend. The last time we take a walk along the beach or see the rain fall. The last time we make love or write a letter, build a fire, hear our name spoken. It is part of the mercy of things that we rarely know when each last time comes, are never sure when we are saying good-bye for good."- Frederick Buechner
March 24, 2008
I read this book also while I was in Italy. It perfectly spooned Lamott's Grace Eventually. Both spoke so much into the human Jesus. Buechner could do no wrong as far as I am concerned. He is such an eloquent writer who uses the scapel of words so delicately you never even knew you were being cut and changed in the same moment. Human Jesus--he becomes seven dimensional through Buechner's writing.
April 10, 2013
I am strongly reminded of the song "Some Children See Him" by James Taylor. The portrayals of Jesus throughout His life by paint, sculpture, weave, fabric are as varied as the artists and their ethnicities. Photographer Lee Boltin and theologian Frederick Buechner team up to broaden the viewer/reader's eyes and hearts to Jesus as seen through the eyes of artists through the centuries. This has been a wonderful book for meditation throughout the season of Lent.
March 25, 2023
I have read many of Buechner's books but in my opinion this is one of his most profound. A beautiful reflection on the person of Jesus in his poetic prose that is so concise and evocative. I think I am going to make this part of my annual Lenten reading.
April 5, 2018
Beautifully written look at who Jesus really was. In the author's capable hands, this ancient story becomes fresh and alive, a joy to read and ponder.
April 10, 2018
Through the annunciation, nativity, ministry, last supper, crucifixion, and resurrection we learn of and see the face of Jesus. We are the face of Jesus.
November 18, 2018
The incomparable prose of Frederick Buechner married to timeless religious art ... absolutely marvelous ... a feast for the soul ...
August 13, 2019
Frederick Buechner, inspiring as always. I love his writing and his insights.
April 24, 2011
Another honest and simply written reminder by Frederick Buechner about the humanity of Jesus. Buechner has a craft for putting into words what is in all of our hearts, the desperate need for a Savior, our search for the Creator, but stripping it of the fancy theology and philosophy. He speaks the words as Jesus would have spoken them for the man standing beside him. A wonderful reminder on Easter of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus who came to reunite us with His Father.
February 16, 2017
Buechner is an amazing writer and this book is a wonderful telling of the story of Jesus from his birth to resurrection. I simply enjoy reading Buechner for he says so much with such brevity.
The only reason I give three rather than four stars is that I am comparing it to other Buechner books I have recently read which I found even more intriguing.
The only reason I give three rather than four stars is that I am comparing it to other Buechner books I have recently read which I found even more intriguing.
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August 5, 2011An interesting look focusing on the humanity of Jesus. It's written as a kind of narrative examining Jesus' life and what He may have been thinking/feeling at different points in His life. Buechner also speaks about Jesus' divinity, but I really enjoyed the insights into Christ's humanity.
January 11, 2018
Frederick Beuchner reads like he is having a conversation that the reader is privileged to overhear. He writes with the heart of a poet, and bares his subject so that we are not spared any detail. I thank God for leading me to this man's creations.
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December 24, 2013Vintage Buechner.
December 5, 2014
A short book that describes the different "faces" that Jesus wore while on earth:
Annunciation
Nativity
Ministry
Last Supper
Crucifixion
Resurrection
Annunciation
Nativity
Ministry
Last Supper
Crucifixion
Resurrection
December 23, 2014
The absolute most beautiful book I have ever read. Buechner knows how to make paintings come to life. Wow.
July 25, 2015
I'm a fan of Buechner. Excellent writer and thought provoking read.
November 22, 2017
Frederick Buechner looks at the life of Jesus through meditative essays.
April 14, 2008
Beautifully written. Fresh. Honest. I think Jesus would be happy to have his name on this book.
May 12, 2011
Excellent, love all his books.
April 5, 2017
Buechner's writing is always beautiful and challenging. In this slim book, he discusses the faces of Jesus from the annunciation through the resurrection. In the introduction Buechner sets out his challenge: "Like the faces of people we love, it [the face of Jesus] has become so familiar that unless we take pains we hardly see it at all. Take pains. See it for what it is and, to see it whole, see it too for what it is just possible that it will become: the the face of Jesus as the face of our own secret and innermost destiny: The face of Jesus as our face."
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews