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

Throughout How We Learn to Be Brave, Budde relies heavily on examples of bravery from her life, the Bible, and history. In doing so, she frames courage as a historical throughline connecting any individual’s life in the present day to traditions stretching back to antiquity. As a religious official, the Bible plays a heavy role in her cultivation of courageous examples, ranging from Abraham in the Old Testament, to the Apostles of the New Testament, to Jesus Christ himself. Budde works to illustrate the influence that these ancient examples have in a modern world, writing, “The Bible tells stories of imperfect human beings and their encounters with God through sweeps of history that are as messy as our own time. As each generation reads the ancient texts through a new lens, they reveal fresh insights that provide meaning, challenge, consolation, and guidance” (123). Budde applies these ancient, biblical examples of bravery, pushing through difficulties, and learning from failure to a modern context, illustrating the lasting impact of faith-based examples on both Budde herself and her readers.

The historical analysis present within How We Learn to Be Brave adds nuance and complexity to the text, as Budde looks outside both herself and her religion to further illustrate her claims.