How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith

Mariann Edgar Budde’s self-help text How We Learn to Be Brave blends spiritual, historical, and personal writing to craft a religious self-help book that guides her readers toward the practice of developing bravery and courage during decisive moments in life. Budde is an Episcopal bishop, and her experience with faith informs her construction of the text. She possesses a deep knowledge of the Bible and other religious texts important to the Christian faith and the other Abrahamic faiths (Judaism and Islam). Budde draws support for her arguments from the Bible, diving into both the Old Testament and New Testament to find examples of the courage she advocates. The Bible is not the only spiritual element of the book, however. In addition to biblical analysis, Budde offers examples from her own spiritual journey that required courage, including a willingness to continue persevering in positions of leadership despite difficulties and setbacks.

Budde blends elements of memoir and self-help in How We Learn to Be Brave. She describes her own failures and shortcomings in her role as a leader in the church while also sharing her moments of growth and triumph. What distinguishes the book from a memoir is that, in narrating her personal journey of self-discovery, she provides explicit lessons for readers seeking to embark on similar journeys of their own.