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From St Augustine to Shakespeare, and from the wisdom of Scripture to the example of Jesus himself, many of our greatest voices have praised the virtue of moderation. In Middling, Emma invites readers to rediscover the creative, faithful power of living in the middle.
The middle is where most of us spend much of our lives – between certainty and doubt, conviction and compassion, what has been lost and what is yet to be found. Yet we are often taught to apologise for this space, to rush toward extremes or easy answers. Middling challenges that assumption, revealing the middle as a place of integrity, nuance, and deep humanity.
Drawing on her experience as a bishop, Emma reflects on the difficult questions faced by leaders and disciples alike: when to speak, when to remain silent, and how to hold tension without losing hope. She explores waiting as a fertile, creative space – one in which life can unfold in unexpected and transformative ways.
At the heart of the book is Christ as the ultimate “middle” figure, holding all things together. In choosing to dwell intentionally in this space, Middling shows that the middle is not only fruitful – but quietly, profoundly joyful.
Emma Ineson is Bishop of Kensington. She was formerly Bishop to the Archbishops, Bishop of Penrith and Principal of Trinity College, Bristol. She chaired the 2022 Lambeth Conference Working Group, and is Chaplain to the Worldwide Mothers’ Union and a member of the Church of England’s Ministry Board. Emma is the author of the bestselling Failure: What Jesus Said About Sin, Mistakes and Messing Stuff Up: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book 2023, and Ambition: What Jesus Said About Power, Success and Counting Stuff (SPCK 2019). She lives in London with her husband, who is also a priest.
