In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience

Summary of In Good Company

1. 1

   Finding God in the Corporate Wilderness

   

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   Imagine kneeling on a urine-soaked floor in a Kingston hospice, struggling to dress an elderly man who insisted on wearing shoes in the shower. This moment crystallized James Martin's extraordinary transformation from corporate finance executive to Jesuit novice. The journey from spreadsheets to spiritual exercises reveals a universal truth about modern life: success by conventional standards often leaves us spiritually malnourished. Martin's story resonates because so many of us feel the same disconnect between external achievement and internal fulfillment. His radical career change wasn't merely abandoning one path for another - it was answering a call to authenticity that many hear but few heed. What makes someone trade a six-figure salary and corner office for poverty, chastity, and obedience? The answer lies not in religious dogma but in the human heart's persistent longing for meaning beyond material success.

2. 2

   The Hollow Victory of Corporate Success

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   At Wharton, Martin encountered fierce competition where classmates hoarded study materials. His interest in poetry was discouraged in favor of "important courses" for interviews - perfect preparation for General Electric under Jack Welch's "Move up or Move out" philosophy. Corporate reality proved harsh. When reporting low numbers from Saudi Arabia, Martin was instructed to "reverse journal entries." The company maintained "Plug" and "Excess" accounts to manipulate monthly reports. His suggestion to prepare all reports at once, since numbers were predetermined anyway, was met with anger. Martin initially flourished at G.E. Regular raises funded a lifestyle of Manhattan nightclubs, apartment parties, and expensive meals. After completing the Financial Management Program, he advanced to managing it - earning an office with a door and twelve ceiling lights, a notable status symbol. Yet despite achieving his goals - salary, independence, advancement - satisfaction eluded him. The persistent question "Is this life?" revealed a growing disconnect between corporate values and personal fulfillment. The final straw came when a manager tried firing a decorated 15-year employee, dismissing Martin's concerns with "Fuck compassion." His body signaled the toxic environment through stress-induced IBS, while doctors offered the ironic advice to "avoid stress" at GE.

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   Awakening to a Different Path

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   During his subway commute, Martin immersed himself in classics like Joyce, Homer, and Dostoevsky, discovering worlds beyond finance and corporate strategy. A turning point came during Sunday Mass, when the story of the rich young man unable to abandon his wealth resonated deeply. A PBS documentary about Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, further moved him. Merton's question-"Why do we waste our time doing things which are just the opposite of what we were made for?"-perfectly captured Martin's inner conflict. Martin began secretly reading religious books, despite embarrassment about his growing desire to become a priest. Though knowing little about religious life, he eventually approached his parish priest and admitted, "I think I'd like to be a priest." During a visit to a psychiatrist for physical symptoms, the doctor asked what Martin would do if he could do anything. His immediate response-"I'd be a priest"-and the doctor's simple reply-"Well, why don't you?"-sparked his transformation.

4. Chapter 4

   The Courage to Change Everything

   When Martin resigned from GE, everyone responded with disbelief. His boss and friends all exclaimed "You're kidding!" At a dinner announcing his plans to Penn friends, they fell into stunned silence, broken only by a waiter asking if they needed more time. The Jesuit application process challenged Martin differently than corporate interviews. Father Kane posed deep questions like "Who is God for you?" and even inquired about Martin's sex life - questions that startled him but reflected the Jesuits' candid approach to human nature. Martin was struck by how Jesuit leadership differed from corporate executives. Despite their accomplishments - advanced degrees, published works, global impact - Jesuits remained humble and approachable. Unlike GE, where executives grew more difficult with promotion, Jesuit leaders became more gracious as they ascended the hierarchy. After acceptance, Martin faced the task of divesting his possessions - his car, stereo, music, suits, and apartment. This physical letting go mirrored his spiritual journey of detachment, revealing how possessions meant to bring joy can become burdens when we try to release them.

   Chapter 5

   Learning to Be Present Through Service

   Life at the Jesuit novitiate was a stark departure from GE. Martin struggled to shift from doing to being, especially while working with seriously ill patients at Youville Hospital. He learned that his role wasn't to perform tasks but simply to be present - visiting, listening, or sitting quietly with those who couldn't communicate. Unlike his corporate past, this work had no deadlines or metrics. The staff focused on finding meaning rather than measuring performance. His patients became real people: Rita had turned her twenty-year hospital room into a home, Gladys sometimes mistook him for her navy sweetheart, and Gene, despite severe brain damage, communicated with wit through a letter board. In Jamaica, Martin's "Third World Experiment" pushed him further. At an orphanage and hospice run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, he confronted poverty directly. Bathing elderly, often incontinent men challenged him deeply. He found comfort in singing religious songs, which patients joined. When asked to baptize a dying man he'd cared for, Martin named him Joseph - a moment both mournful and sacred.

   Chapter 6

   The Journey Within: Prayer and Transformation

   Martin's spiritual director redefined prayer as "a long, loving look at the real" - finding God in both meditation and daily life. Like friendships, intimacy with God requires dedicated time, vulnerability, and attentive listening rather than dominating the conversation. The Long Retreat's thirty days of silence proved transformative. During this period, Martin confronted his core patterns: seeking approval, harsh judgments, and craving recognition. This deep psychological and spiritual work led him through both painful self-awareness and healing forgiveness. Through Ignatian contemplation, Martin immersed himself in Gospel scenes, particularly connecting with Mary's immediate acceptance of God's plan - a stark contrast to his analytical hesitation. This practice revealed how spiritual growth often emerges from surrender rather than control.

   Chapter 7

   Finding Home in Authenticity

   On his vow day, Martin pronounced his promises surrounded by everyone who had shaped his journey - parents, sister, college friends, GE colleagues, and fellow Jesuits. As he knelt to speak his vows, he experienced unprecedented clarity and peace. Later that night in the candlelit novitiate chapel, Martin reflected on his transformation. His former life had been carefully mapped out - a clear corporate path with guaranteed financial security. Becoming a Jesuit would have seemed inconceivable to his younger self, who measured success in bonuses and stock options. The past two years had challenged these assumptions. His path had led from corporate corridors to hospital wards and slums. Teaching seventh-graders had revealed more about patience, humility, and genuine connection than any business training. Martin's story shows that authentic fulfillment often diverges from society's success metrics. Following one's inner calling - that persistent "Is this all there is?" - means leaving the safety of conventional achievement. True transformation requires embracing uncertainty, trusting that each step will lead not where we planned, but where we belong. What voice are you ignoring? Perhaps real courage isn't climbing higher on your current ladder, but questioning whether it's against the right wall.

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