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Lexical Trilogy #2
Peculiar Treasures: Witty Profiles of 125+ Legendary Figures from Scripture―Their Human Imperfections
In this second book of his popular lexical trilogy, Frederick Buechner profiles more than 125 of the Bible's most holy and profane people -- and one whale. In his lively and witty prose, Buechner brings to life such moments from scripture as:
To read Peculiar Treasures is to realize that many of these legendary figures are not who we thought they were. But they are -- in their human dreams,ambitions, and imperfections -- very much like us.
Adam's pangs of regret for a remembered Eden
Delilah's last glimpse of Samson as they dragged him away
Lazarus's first impressions upon rising from the dead
To read Peculiar Treasures is to realize that many of these legendary figures are not who we thought they were. But they are -- in their human dreams,ambitions, and imperfections -- very much like us.
205 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
10 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Frederick Buechner
92 books1,229 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 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 21, 2010
Nobody claims there's a chuckle on every page, but laughter's what the whole Bible is really about. -- Frederick Buechner
As a Christian I'm as dismayed as many at the lack of joy we sometimes find in our own faith. As a Catholic living in a Reformed Church of America community, I'm fully aware of the sinfulness of all of us. I was raised in a Protestant church (Methodist) which was light on sin, but far too serious for a growing boy. As a Catholic I found joy in the Mass, but cannot deny it was the seriousness of theology which attracted me to the Church. But seriously, we Christians need a good laugh now and then (with an emphasis on the now).
Frederick Buechner offers us that option without the guilt of slipping from the faith. I reviewed Buechner's The Storm two months ago, and this week I returned to Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who a book I read a couple of years ago and have given as a gift several times. Buechner is a Union Theological trained minister who studied theology after becoming a novelist. Peculiar Treasures shows a writer as comfortable with the ugly stories in the Bible as he is with the humor. This is a laugh-out-loud book which can make you reexamine your own faith at the same time.
Buechner takes on subjects big and small, and finds something worth celebrating everywhere. And he writes in a vernacular which pulls in the present as a way to explain the past. In discussing the prophet Elisha he chooses a story in which the prophet stops to get rest "when a boy scout troop broke ranks and surrounded him. They threw bottle caps at him and they made rude gestures...'Skin-head' and 'Chrome-Dome' and 'Curly' they called him till finally the old man had enough. He made a few passes at them, muttered a few words, and within seconds a couple of she-bears lumbered out from the trees...and mauled some of the slower members of the troop." Buechner notes that this "is not the most edifying story in the Old Testament" but says we realize that "the Lord does not call everyone to be Mister Rogers." He does not soften the tougher stories, but he sees in them something worth pondering. It may be that as novelist Buechner recognizes that there is more truth in the narrative than in fact.
Biblical literalists are too focused on the "word," as opposed to John's "Word." The truth is not in the words, but in the stories and lessons they communicate to us. When I teach Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried in class we talk a lot about this truth. O'Brien knows that a factual retelling of his time in Vietnam would simply be masquerading as the the truth. The truth is in the narrative, the story that reaches into us, grabs us, and forces us to look it in the face. Why else would Jesus tell stories? He knows that stories are what connect us and have a way of communicating the truth which is larger than the sum of the words. Buechner uses this as a way to imagine what some of the Biblical folks are thinking which may not be "factual," but are likely closer to the truth.
His discussions both of Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene are touching in his focus. For Mary it is on how her son called her "woman" and seemed to have no time for her, until dying on the cross he gives another disciple to be her son -- the son she never had. Mary Magdalene is, of course, the person Jesus chooses to first appear to after rising on Easter morning. When she goes back to the disciples who never really knew what to make of her, she tells them "I have seen the Lord" and Buechner says "whatever dark doubts they might have had on the subject earlier, one look at her face was enough to melt them all away like morning mist."
Much of Buechner's thought may be found in his summary of Sarah. He tells the story of how Sarah and Abraham laugh when the angel tells the old couple that Sarah is going to have a baby. Sarah laughs so hard she has to go in the tent so as to not insult the angel. But Buechner says they are not laughing at the message the angel carries. "The reason they laughed was that it suddenly dawned on them that the wildest dreams they'd ever had hadn't been half wild enough."
That is when laughter and joy become one.
As a Christian I'm as dismayed as many at the lack of joy we sometimes find in our own faith. As a Catholic living in a Reformed Church of America community, I'm fully aware of the sinfulness of all of us. I was raised in a Protestant church (Methodist) which was light on sin, but far too serious for a growing boy. As a Catholic I found joy in the Mass, but cannot deny it was the seriousness of theology which attracted me to the Church. But seriously, we Christians need a good laugh now and then (with an emphasis on the now).
Frederick Buechner offers us that option without the guilt of slipping from the faith. I reviewed Buechner's The Storm two months ago, and this week I returned to Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who a book I read a couple of years ago and have given as a gift several times. Buechner is a Union Theological trained minister who studied theology after becoming a novelist. Peculiar Treasures shows a writer as comfortable with the ugly stories in the Bible as he is with the humor. This is a laugh-out-loud book which can make you reexamine your own faith at the same time.
Buechner takes on subjects big and small, and finds something worth celebrating everywhere. And he writes in a vernacular which pulls in the present as a way to explain the past. In discussing the prophet Elisha he chooses a story in which the prophet stops to get rest "when a boy scout troop broke ranks and surrounded him. They threw bottle caps at him and they made rude gestures...'Skin-head' and 'Chrome-Dome' and 'Curly' they called him till finally the old man had enough. He made a few passes at them, muttered a few words, and within seconds a couple of she-bears lumbered out from the trees...and mauled some of the slower members of the troop." Buechner notes that this "is not the most edifying story in the Old Testament" but says we realize that "the Lord does not call everyone to be Mister Rogers." He does not soften the tougher stories, but he sees in them something worth pondering. It may be that as novelist Buechner recognizes that there is more truth in the narrative than in fact.
Biblical literalists are too focused on the "word," as opposed to John's "Word." The truth is not in the words, but in the stories and lessons they communicate to us. When I teach Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried in class we talk a lot about this truth. O'Brien knows that a factual retelling of his time in Vietnam would simply be masquerading as the the truth. The truth is in the narrative, the story that reaches into us, grabs us, and forces us to look it in the face. Why else would Jesus tell stories? He knows that stories are what connect us and have a way of communicating the truth which is larger than the sum of the words. Buechner uses this as a way to imagine what some of the Biblical folks are thinking which may not be "factual," but are likely closer to the truth.
His discussions both of Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene are touching in his focus. For Mary it is on how her son called her "woman" and seemed to have no time for her, until dying on the cross he gives another disciple to be her son -- the son she never had. Mary Magdalene is, of course, the person Jesus chooses to first appear to after rising on Easter morning. When she goes back to the disciples who never really knew what to make of her, she tells them "I have seen the Lord" and Buechner says "whatever dark doubts they might have had on the subject earlier, one look at her face was enough to melt them all away like morning mist."
Much of Buechner's thought may be found in his summary of Sarah. He tells the story of how Sarah and Abraham laugh when the angel tells the old couple that Sarah is going to have a baby. Sarah laughs so hard she has to go in the tent so as to not insult the angel. But Buechner says they are not laughing at the message the angel carries. "The reason they laughed was that it suddenly dawned on them that the wildest dreams they'd ever had hadn't been half wild enough."
That is when laughter and joy become one.
August 12, 2018
I enjoyed this book and I enjoy Buechner! I will say one of the difficulties with this book is he mixes truth and metaphor so if you’re not well educated about bible characters, you could be a little confused what’s real and what’s poetic imagery.
June 27, 2023
Not every biblical figure had a lot going for themselves, which is apparent when not even Frederick Buechner could make a synopsis of all their lives seem very interesting. As you work through this collection of small essays on biblical-era folks, you'll inevitably read a number of them that seem more like the nosey neighbor you'd like to avoid, or the troublesome youth you hope will some day have some sense knocked into him, or quite simply the ne'er-do-well you'd rather not pay any heed lest you go mad in the process. But then you come across a figure of such magnitude, described in such eloquence, that you fall to your knees in tears at the reminder that all those pages of seemingly forgettable rubes are linked to souls who've been paid for, redeemed, and elevated in the same way as your own.
July 14, 2023
DNF. Aware of the age of this book, I still found some of the tone problematic. I appreciate the retelling of the stories of Biblical people in more modern settings; however, the nonchalant description of so many women as loose or willing participants in sin (Gomer, Hagar, Dinah, Bathsheba) was extremely off putting and actually concerning. I know it's how so many think a "plain reading of scripture" portrays them, but it seems ignorant of cultural norms and the like. I gave up when it said that Ham is traditionally known as the progenitor of the black race. This view is unacceptable and racist in my understanding. Whether the author is endorsing that "traditional" knowledge or just acknowledging it, I've read enough to not to continue.
April 1, 2020
If real creativity is being able to quicken familiar things that we thought we knew already-- and there are competent authorities who suggest exactly that-- Buechner is electric with creativity, bubbling and effervescing with it. This book is a new, startling, Biblically faithful, look at many of the characters from the Bible. Those of us who have read the Bible a few times, who have listened to sermons most of our lives, wouldn't have thought a project like this was possible. But here it is.
"But peculiar as we are, every last one of us, for reasons best known to himself Yahweh apparently treasures the whole three-ring circus."
Well, Amen, if you put it that way.
"But peculiar as we are, every last one of us, for reasons best known to himself Yahweh apparently treasures the whole three-ring circus."
Well, Amen, if you put it that way.
June 13, 2021
Buechner gives a short bio of many characters in the Bible, well known as well as little known. You may remember Queen Esther. What about Queen Vashti? Included are historical figures from the Old and New Testament, so we know where Biblical stories fit in. I especially liked the comparison of the Gospel writers, explaining why they wrote the Gospels as they did, each with a different perspective. As someone who knows the Bible quite well, I loved Buechner's sense of humor(sometimes rather irreverent). For someone with a literary bent, this would identify the story behind some familiar names.
June 26, 2017
The Webster Goodreads Wine and Cheese Book Club will meet Sunday, July 16, 2017 at the home of the Uffman, 6:30-8:30 PM. If you do not have time to read the book, come anyway. The discussion is what makes a book club work anyway. We will have prepared a sheet with some thoughtful quotes that ought to trigger conversation.
Invite a friend. Those SBNRs (Spiritual But Not Religious) may not sit in the pews but the ones I know are spiritually quizzical!
Invite a friend. Those SBNRs (Spiritual But Not Religious) may not sit in the pews but the ones I know are spiritually quizzical!
June 15, 2019
Buechner tackles most of the major characters from the Bible, giving each about a page "bio". As a life long Christian, I was embarrassed at how many I knew little to nothing about. I appreciated the introduction and background in a simple to read format. However, would have much preferred that he kept things more serious--he tries to infuse comedy into many of the bios and more often than not it just felt misplaced.
March 21, 2023
I read this years ago and enjoyed the reread. It isn’t one you necessarily read straight through—it’s a little “encyclopedia” of sorts giving a modern, often irreverent, twist on Biblical characters. I love the nuggets scattered throughout and I’ll read these Bible stories differently because of his raw take on these real people. I had a few theological disagreements, but this book definitely isn’t meant to be a theological treatise, by any means.
July 12, 2019
Progressive, poetic and often funny, this expands on the writer's earlier 'wishful thinking' (An theoligical A to Z) and adds mostly new content, give or take a few repeated people for the letters. Well, there's not many similar Biblical characters other then Zaccheus for Z, is there?
February 12, 2020
I have major problems with some of his descriptions. He glosses over rape several times. This is not acceptable. Many of the entries where the stories don't particularly deal with sexuality are lovely. So I'm torn and for now appreciating the parts I can appreciate.
December 14, 2025
A good catalogue of names from the Bible, each with a story that defamiliarizes the biblical narrative. (That's sometimes misleading, but it's usually useful—if we remember to re-read the Bible's story in light of what Peculiar Treasures reveals.
December 14, 2017
This was a fun read, getting Mr. Beuchner's take on many of the bible characters from Abel to Zacchaeus. His fresh perspective encourages me to take deeper looks during my morning Bible reading.
August 13, 2018
A light-hearted but insightful set of mini-biographies of biblical personages. Very enjoyable and a fun read.
May 7, 2019
One of my new favorite authors. Often a bible character profile will cause me to think about a scripture in a new way. Delightful book.
January 23, 2020
A couple of duds in here but mostly it’s wonderful.
September 15, 2021
Strange alphabetical glossary of Biblical characters. Rather like obscure crossword puzzles clues. I found it to be very confusing for people who are not already familiar with these characters.
August 27, 2022
Not as good as Whistling in the Dark, but certainly worth a read.
September 3, 2025
Fascinating book!
December 4, 2021
The book offers some interesting takes on Biblical characters. The best part was that Buechner sometimes included extra-biblical historical information and comments on how passages were written in Hebrew and Greek—things you wouldn’t know just from reading an English Bible. For example, he talked about Mark’s repeated use of the Greek word for “immediately.” I liked reading his biographies for the writers of the four gospels because he helped to distinguish them.
Two stars because I didn’t enjoy the author’s humor and overall writing style.
Two stars because I didn’t enjoy the author’s humor and overall writing style.
February 21, 2021
This book, like all books by Buechner, is worth reading, however this one is unique in that it can also (easily) serve as a go-to guide, a reference book, if you will. In fact, it gives snapshot biographies of key Bible characters, with some embellishment (ie, sanctified imagination). This book was useful to me as I taught through OT History books, particularly the characters: Saul, David, and Jonathan.
October 11, 2015
I consider "Peculiar Treasures" one of Buechner's best works. It is an impressive and comprehensive list of Who's Who in the Bible. Arranged alphabetically from A-Z are the life stories of all the Biblical characters and one whale. I read a handful each night and dawdled over those I especially enjoy. Each life story is a sweet offering of spiritual insight.
The characters are recast imaginatively while the content remains faithful to Scripture. A few that are given a modern day spin and cleverly embedded within contemporary culture ("transposed scenes from ancient Israel to more familiar settings") work surprisingly well in speaking truth and relevance. Buechner's telling of these "moth-eaten" characters' lives shows that God's Word never gets old. I marvel at how he manages to preserve the integrity of the texts when there is nothing old in their telling. I can only imagine that Buechner is a gifted teacher. If I were to sit in his class I would be awe struck by his insights.
Read these character portrayals and it soon becomes obvious that Buechner derived more than a chuckle or two writing them. I love the humorous spin to several of the following character write-ups.
Adam
Adam is cast as an old man perhaps with dementia or a serious case of forgetfulness trying to remember Eden and why he has to leave. Interesting!
Absalom
This observation packs a lot of punch. King David would have given his life for his wayward and ambitious son, Absalom. Buechner observes "But even a king can't do things like that. As later history was to prove. It takes a God."
The Angel Gabriel
He reflected on how the whole future of creation rested on the answer of a young girl in the Magnificat scene.
Gomer
This is a down-to-earth rendering of Hosea's long-suffering love for his wife, the whore.
Joseph
"Almost as much as it is a story of how Israel was saved from famine and extinction, it is the story of how Joseph was saved as a human being." Insightful.
Nathan
This is a humorous story about the poor man's lamb.
Peter
He is only person to whom Jesus gave an individual beatitude. Such a lovely portrayal.
May 26, 2016
That may be one of the loveliest things I’ve ever read. And I’m not talking religious pie-in-the-sky happy-clappy because if you know me then you know that I can’t stand that stuff. This book was sarcastic and irreverent and funny and poignant and it hits my heart with truth so strong that it makes me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. Finally, a commentary of Biblical characters written with humor and a clear eye. Buechner refuses to paint these men and women as anything else but men and women, human beings who are just like the rest of us. Scripture has never pulled any punches, and yet Christian culture has often elevated Biblical figures to something more than human, an inaccurate affectation that makes them feel unrelatable and out of reach. Buechner peels back the Christianese mystique and presents these people as they were … faulty and well-meaning and weak and imperfect and in need of God … just like the rest of us. And ultimately, as Buechner plows through the Bible, the picture that emerges, the thread that runs through the whole book is the goodness and the completeness and the love of God. It makes me love Him more than ever.
November 16, 2015
Buechner is one of my favorite authors ever, and Telling the Truth is one of my top books of all time, so understand that he's being held to a higher standard here.
With that said, I didn't hate Peculiar Treasures but was certainly expecting something different. I would highly recommend this book to someone who is unfamiliar with many of the characters and narratives found throughout the bible and who is interested in getting a more unique glimpse into their worlds, but after reading through the first several biographies the unique qualities that I love so much about Buechner, and more specifically his approach to understanding scripture, started to become very old very fast, almost as if I were reading the same joke over and over again.
Oddly enough, I'll probably be recommending this book myself, but staying true to my rating system I'm only giving it 2 stars because, for me, it was just ok.
With that said, I didn't hate Peculiar Treasures but was certainly expecting something different. I would highly recommend this book to someone who is unfamiliar with many of the characters and narratives found throughout the bible and who is interested in getting a more unique glimpse into their worlds, but after reading through the first several biographies the unique qualities that I love so much about Buechner, and more specifically his approach to understanding scripture, started to become very old very fast, almost as if I were reading the same joke over and over again.
Oddly enough, I'll probably be recommending this book myself, but staying true to my rating system I'm only giving it 2 stars because, for me, it was just ok.
December 23, 2019
These summary biographies aren’t always literally true, but figuratively they feel as true as if God Godself had spoken them.
Buechner’s conclusions never fail to leave us aware of both the human significance and the divine significance of each individual’s personal story. These bits (his concluding sentences) are often my favorite parts of the entries, but the entries as a whole also provide a uniquely expressed perspective on God’s character and induce self reflection.
Buechner’s conclusions never fail to leave us aware of both the human significance and the divine significance of each individual’s personal story. These bits (his concluding sentences) are often my favorite parts of the entries, but the entries as a whole also provide a uniquely expressed perspective on God’s character and induce self reflection.
August 12, 2012
This was an enjoyable account of various people in the Bible. I felt it was an easy to read, informative, clever, humorous but not heretical description of well known and lesser known peoples in the Scriptures. By writing in an "up to date" style, the author does not diminish the messages contained in the Bible.
December 7, 2015
Another alphabet book by Frederick Buechner, this one a run down of biblical figures, many familiar but some entirely unfamiliar. Typically for Buechner, he puts flesh on their bones, turning them into people easy to relate to, often with humor and a generous dose of empathy. Sometimes the humor seems a bit strained, but overall an enjoyable Bible story book for grown-ups.
September 8, 2007
A wonderful introduction to this most inventive and insightful Christian writer. It's also a great way to get a feel for the Bible through its memorable characters, if you're not up to tackling the "original" itself.
March 1, 2011
This book is such a fun look at some of the characters in the Bible....I read it quite quickly and laughed and just enjoyed a different glimpse into the Word. Will be writing a review for my book blog for My Friend Amy's Frederick Buechner week!
June 11, 2013
Would be a fun book to use for changing up a Sunday School lesson on Bible Characters. Author's updated, sometimes silly descriptions made me laugh and think about how these Bible stories might play out today.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews