Ambition: What Jesus Said about Power, Success and Counting Stuff

by Emma Ineson

FOREWORD BY THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

Be ambitious for the Kingdom - and hang on to your soul!

Counting things is very much on the table at the moment. But what is the theology around notions of ambition and success? Why do they sit so uncomfortably in a Christian context? After all, growth is not the preserve of big business when viewed through the lens of the story of God and his people. So, we need to ask, what is right about ambition for the Christian leader? And what were Jesus' views?

Inevitably (because everything interesting is paradoxical), success and failure are close bedfellows. The single most successful event in the history of humankind - the victory of love over sin and death - looked very much like one man, naked, shamed and abandoned by most of his followers, hanging on a cross.

If we keep a vision of the Kingdom of God at the centre of all we do, we cannot go far wrong. This lively and liberating book includes a brilliant take on Jesus' teaching in 'The Beatitudes for Ambitious Leaders'. Here Emma Ineson describes key spiritual dispositions that will enable us - whether in the church or living out our vocation elsewhere - to do just that.

160 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2019

Reviews

[Chris Rousell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this book about ambition, a practical theology of Christian (read church) leadership, or an exposition of the Sermon on the Mount? Yes.

I've heard it said that most books are, at their heart, one key chapter with interesting filler surrounding it. This, I feel, is one of those books

[Nick Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's encouragement in here, and reminders to keep the right perspective on leadership under pressure not just to 'achieve' but to do so in measurable ways. Lots of good phrases and insights - my favourite probably being 'Where your graphs are, there your heart is also.' A lot of what I recognise here as a parish priest might well ring true with teachers I know and others.

My disappointment is that after starting with the painful impact of measurement and assessment on the author's husband (a good parish priest hit hard by a round of discouraging figures from 'the centre') and with repeated implicit criticism of the Green Report (which has shaped thinking on senior leadership in the church) the book ends up still feeling like a (helpful) reminder to keep going and remember why we're doing this despite the imperfections of the system, rather than offering a challenge to the system of measurement and the ways we're seeking to be accountable.

I hope that the author will be given a voice in future thinking about how we structure and resource the church - accountability and measurement are important and helpful, and getting the way to do them right would help many of the clergy for whom this book is written.

[Alyssa Foll · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful theological reflection on what it means to be ambitious. I have often been described as an ambitious person and I tend to think of myself that way, too. And yet, ambition often gets looked at with suspicion in Christian circles. You can have ambition, you just can't talk about it. And heaven help you if you are a woman and you have ambition.
Bishop Emma Ineson has written a nuanced book on ambition, success, and measurement -- all things that are the common terrain of leadership, whatever the context (church, para-church ministry, healthcare, education, etc.). I especially appreciated her insistence on character formation and spiritual formation for leaders. Ultimately, things like ambition and success are deeply nuanced and require well-formed, mature leaders to navigate them with grace and humility.

[Rebecca Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely superb book that opens up a variety of tradition and scripture to speak into some of the discomfort of seeking to be successful as a Christian. Emma is super easy to read but challenges deeply.