The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church that has Abandoned It
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Leader’s Edge: Leadership
The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church that has Abandoned It*
By Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel
Nelson Books, 2021
271 Pages
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Summary
This book is an extended discussion of what the authors see as a primary problem in the evangelical church. They believe many pastors and other Christian leaders are driven by a type of selfish ambition in their work, seduced by the adulation of crowds, unaware of or abandoning what they describe as Jesus’ decidedly different approach to service and leadership.
The book is very prophetic in tone, calling out what they see as a grievous error. Early on in the book they ask: “What happens if the church rejects the power of Christ? What happens when Christians embody a worldly approach to power and try to use that to advance Christ’s kingdom? What happens when believers live their lives according to a power that is antagonistic to Christ?”. (Kindle location: 438) They then enumerate the many bad results of pursuing this course in ministry.
Since the church is large and complex and there are obviously many fine leaders in its ranks, this theme could drift toward an arrogant tone. The authors however counteract this with being very transparent and honest about their own struggles with the problem they identify. The book therefore becomes prophetic on the one hand, while also being a humble exhortation to repentance on the other.
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