Carl Frederick Buechner (pronounced BEEK-ner) is an American writer and theologian. He is the author of thirty-nine published works across a range of genres, including fiction, autobiography, essays, sermons, and other nonfiction.

Born on July 11, 1926 in New York City, Buechner was educated at the Lawrenceville School, Princeton University, and Union Theological Seminary, NY. His work has received various awards, including the Irene Glascock Prize for poetry (1947), the O. Henry Award (1955), the Rosenthal Award (1959), and the Christianity and Literature Belles Lettres Prize (1987).

Awarded eight honorary degrees from such institutions as Yale University and Virginia Theological Seminary, Buechner has also been recognized by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1982). In 2007 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Conference of Christianity and Literature.

In addition to autobiographical works such as The Sacred Journey (1982) and Now and Then (1983), Buechner is best known for his novels, including 1981 Pulitzer Prize finalist Godric, and the Bebb tetralogy, the first instalment of which, Lion Country (1971), was a finalist for the National Book Award.