In their new book, The Way Of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church That Has Abandoned It, Kyle Strobel, theology professor at Talbot School of Theology, and pastor and Talbot alumnus Jamin Goggin uncover Jesus’ seemingly contradictory way to power: weakness.

“We want to cast a vision for the Christian life according to Jesus’ way of power: power in weakness for love,” said Strobel. “We are called to be a people of power, certainly, but a kind of power completely opposite to the power of the world. So what does it mean to employ the power of Christ? What happens when the power of Christ comes head-to-head with the power of evil, even in our churches? These are the questions that drove us to explore the world and document our travels.”

By painting a richly biblical vision of power through weakness and having intense, meaningful conversations with some of Christianity’s most respected leaders like Dallas Willard, Marva Dawn, James Houston, John Perkins, Jean Vanier, Eugene Peterson and J.I. Packer, Goggin and Strobel invite readers to consider with them the new-old reality of following Jesus today.

“In our mission to find wisdom, we wanted more than just successful people, but individuals with real kingdom depth,” said Goggin. “We wanted to seek out our elders, trusting that their decades of faithfulness turned into wisdom. What we found were the most holy, wise and powerful people we have ever met.”

In the end, The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb, which releases January 24, 2017, by Nelson Books, offers a compelling vision of how the way of Jesus challenges both individual believers and the church as a whole.

“When we embrace our weakness and trust in the power of God we bear witness to Christ in a world obsessed with forms of power that oppose the way of the cross,” wrote Goggin in a recent devotional. “When we embrace our weakness and abide in God’s strength we bring glory to God.”

Goggin serves as a pastor at Mission Hills Church. He has been in pastoral ministry for eleven years, including several years as the Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Saddleback Church. Strobel is a professor of spiritual theology and formation at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University and is an emerging voice among evangelicals on spiritual formation, discipleship, and theology.

For more information or interviews, contact Jenna Loumagne, manager of media relations, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.