I am a deeply empathetic person by nature, but not everyone is.
Bauman says one of the key elements our culture is lacking today is empathy. Too often we assume we know exactly how other people are thinking and feeling and we don't listen to what they actually are saying.

Bauman writes, "We are subtly—and sometimes not so subtly—ignoring each other’s perspectives, circumstances, and needs. Instead of seeking to understand, we quietly pronounce judgment, stoking a simmering anger. Or we smile civilly, nodding our head, feeding the isolation among us. What are we missing? Maybe we’re missing each other. The world has settled for competition instead of compassion, civility instead of love, transaction instead of community."

I wish all those folks at TGC would read her book, but I doubt they would be open to what she is saying here. (They keep putting out bad theology about empathy being a sin, which it most certainly is not.)

Wow... This book is truly powerful and poignant - an absolute wake up call to all of us about the power of letting down the walls of our hearts and letting people in. We are commanded to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. But the truth of the matter is, without empathy we cannot fulfill this. Excellent book.

After reading this book, I now look at The Golden Rule much differently. The Golden Rule is quite universal, most of us have been encouraged and taught to live by it, and yet, is that the best way to live? What if you and the other party or group do not share the same values or societal norms? That is where empathy, audacious empathy, enters the picture.

Choosing the less traveled road of empathy can transform you, your relationships, your testimony and yes, your world. Choose empathy to connect with, know and care about others. Practice empathy to ease someone’s burdens, to be less afraid, to hate and seek revenge less. Practicing audacious empathy is life changing.

Empathy, through God’s design, is part of us. It is a skill which can be developed and must be practiced each and every day. God chose to imprint each of us with empathy so that we can transform our world, one relationship at a time. We need to see, feel and act. However, before we can do those things, we must first listen deeply. Deep listening can lead to healing. How awesome is that?

I loved learning about brave listening. We can learn to really listen to others, and validate their feelings and thoughts, even and especially those we don’t agree with. To love others, we must listen to them.

Empathy is a much needed skill that we all must learn and develop. Our very world is depending on it. This book will help you to begin working on the skills of empathy. You will be guided through perspective-taking, empathetic listening and peacemaking. Read this book and allow yourself to experience the transforming power of empathy. This book touched my heart and spoke into my soul.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from IVP Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Brave Souls by Belinda Bauman is a great resource on the powerful need for empathy. This book is a good companion to Brene Brown's work on empathy. Stories and studies both from a faith based perspective and from a secular worldview cause this book to feel multi dimensional. There is engagement offered in this book through the guided portions given by the author! I recommend!

The Prelude and Introduction of "Brave Souls" by Belinda Bauman were beautifully written and so very inspiring. I was excited to continue reading, and to truly be swept away by the author's story, and the stories of the women she was led to help. However, once I got into the meat of the book, I found nothing to which I could relate. I found nothing that I could DO to help the women in war-torn countries and other horrendous living situations. Hike Kilimanjaro?? No, not even close to being even remotely relatable for this reader. I found the tone of the rest of the book to be just too "above" my present season in life. Despite my overall negative reaction to the book, the text is well written, with beautiful quotations from both the Bible and from both secular and religious individuals. I found the Appendices to be the most useful parts of the book, as they contained information that was not only relatable, but actionable. Other than that, apart from the book's Intro and Prelude, the remainder of "Brave Souls" was just very disappointing to me.

Great thanks to the publisher, who provided me with an electronic copy of the book at no charge, via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review of any kind, and the opinions stated here are strictly my own.

In a world of chaos and social crisis, Brave Souls by Belinda Bauman is a breath of fresh air and filled with spiritual truths. Throughout various stories, quotes from Christian and secular sources, Bauman effectively shows the world's desperate need for empathy. Bauman includes practical hands-on application tactics that encourage readers to take an inside look at their own listening skills, assess their own skills with empathy, communication, and perspective taking.

Overall, there is a beautiful sense of understanding, gentleness, and love throughout this book. It's a book worthy of being shared, pondered over, and discussed with those of us seeking to help heal a broken world. I highly recommend it.