'A superb book on failure . . . humorous, realistic and absolutely not judgemental.' JUSTIN WELBY In 2019, Emma Ineson wrote about ambition and what it means for Christians to be successful. And then there was a global pandemic . . . Suddenly failure began to feel very much more familiar than success. But what is failure? What did Jesus think of it? What did he say about sin, mistakes and generally mucking things up? At the start of this wonderfully humorous and encouraging book - which will end at the cross - it's suggested that our tendency to lump all kinds of failure together could be a bit unhelpful. A more nuanced understanding of what sort of failure we're dealing with might just allow us to make friends with it and respond more appropriately. This idea leads us 'Towards an (Imperfect) Theology of Failure', based on key Christian thinking, and Emma poses the question of whether sin is an individual or corporate thing. Looking at the church, we consider, what is God's purpose for it? And in the light of key concerns such as safeguarding and racial justice, how might we re-examine concepts of success and recognize and measure failure? As the book draws to an end, we are reminded of our calling to live life to the full, to take risks despite our fears. We are bound sometimes to fail! Yet gazing at Jesus - who looked like the greatest failure of all - we may discern in the heartache, vulnerability and humility of failure, the glory of the cross. Failure was the 2023 Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book and Big Church Read for Lent.

This year's Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Guide for 2023, Failure by Emma Ineson reframes how we view the times we mess up and what Jesus says about it.

About the Author
The Revd Dr Emma Ineson is Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and Chair of the Lambeth Conference Working Group. She was Bishop of Penrith from 2019-2021. Prior to that, Emma was Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, where she taught practical theology and spirituality, and Chaplain at the Lee Abbey community. These roles have helped her understand and appreciate the breadth and depth of the Church and, being married to a vicar, she has seen first-hand both the joys and challenges of parish ministry on the ground. In 2016, Emma was appointed as an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen.

Reviews
A superb book on failure . . . humorous, realistic and absolutely not judgemental. -- Justin Welby on FAILURE
Be encouraged by Bishop Emma's advice and inspired by her wisdom and humour. -- Justin Welby, on AMBITION
Ineson's gentle humour, honesty, and obvious faith help us to begin to work out why Donald Trump's dividing of people into "winners" and "losers" is an evil humiliation and shaming of those who do not sit at influential tables or whose fragilities and fractures run deep. Ineson is, at the end of the day, a theologian of sensitive hope. * Mark Oakley, Church Times on FAILURE *
An incisive, persuasive and refreshing take on leadership, Ambition reflects wide experience and scholarly depth yet is topical and accessible to all. Emma redefines the meaning of ambition in the life of a Christian, redeeming the concept from its associations of success measured in numbers. -- Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, on AMBITION
Bishop Emma Ineson provides an antidote to current approaches to success, ambition and effectiveness . . . Leaders of all denominations will find her approach refreshing, performance anxiety reducing and deeply practical as she outlines how the "beatitudes for ambitious leaders" can keep us Kingdom focused and Christ-centric in the most demanding of roles. -- Simon Barrington, Founder and Director, Forge Leadership Consultancy, on AMBITION
Emma writes with insight, honesty, passion and humour on big themes, such as ambition, power and authority, helping us look at them through the lens of faith. -- Kate Wharton, Assistant National Leader for New Wine, on AMBITION
Courageous, witty and self-effacing . . . if you have ambition to live as if the kingdom is near - read this! -- Bishop Jill Duff, on AMBITION



Book Information
ISBN 9780281087846
Author Emma Ineson
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint SPCK Publishing
Publisher SPCK Publishing