When Christians Disagree: A Review

Cooper, Tim. When Christians Disagree: Lessons from the Fractured Relationship of John Owen and Richard Baxter. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024.

The reality of disagreement between mankind in general and Christians in particular is apparent. These disagreements encompass a range of topics, from practical elements, such as how we gather and dress, to theological disputes over the nature of last things. In a sense, disagreement is inevitable. We live in a fallen world, where even in Christ, we are still subject to our sinful passions. The question we must face, especially as Christians, is how we are to disagree with one another. Tim Cooper seeks to offer some perspective on the nature of our disagreements, drawing on a historical dispute between two Christian brothers. John Owen and Richard Baxter are not obscure figures in the history of the church. To many, they are towering figures. John Owen, in particular, is among the most beloved Puritan writers. It is easy today to look back at these figures and judge them solely based on their theological positions. Cooper hopes to go beyond the theological disagreements, vital as they are, to examine the way they disagreed and what we can learn from them.

A Good Approach

Cooper's goal in writing this book is to hopefully help Christians today engage in substantial disagreements with grace. He is not naive to the challenge that this idea faces. He notes in his introduction that "This is a difficult challenge to meet. Part of the problem is that we are too close, too invested in the disagreements we see around us." (p. 3) At the same time, he takes seriously the charge of Philippians 2:2 for Christians to be of one mind. He does this by setting the stage.

The book opens by examining the lives of Owen and Baxter, highlighting both their positive and negative aspects. The nature of the book, which addresses how Christians are to seek unity, necessarily involves examining the darker aspects of these men's lives. Both Owen and Baxter come out of the book looking rather negative, though it must be said that Baxter ends up looking the worst. Rather than attempting to tell us that one person was right or wrong, Cooper seeks to show how perspective and experiences affect how each of us approaches a situation. Both Baxter and Owen lived through the English Civil War and the rise of Oliver Cromwell, but their experiences of that war and their perspectives on the events were vastly different. Even being on the same side of the conflict,

This examination of how perspective and experience can shape our response to an event should stand out to us, as similar issues are always present. The recent history of the Southern Baptist Convention is an excellent example of how the same event can be seen from a myriad of perspectives.

One of the things I appreciate about this book is the way Cooper doesn't act like he has all the answers. Instead, he offers perspective and some critical questions to help us navigate the issues before us today. Questions like "How much damage will be inflicted on those around me and the cause of Christ by my continued conflict with the other person?" (p. 126)

Timely And Worth While

In a recent article reflecting on the 2025 SBC annual meeting (available here), I noted that "How we disagree says a lot about us." Cooper seems to be making the same point. He is not saying we should not disagree, or that there are not things that we should take a stand on, but how we go about that disagreement matters. He notes that we are commanded to live at peace with everyone around us, at least as far as is possible on our side. We cannot control the actions of others, even though we might wish we could at times. But we can control how we respond.

Some Final Thoughts

Cooper's book is one that we all should read. It is a call to take a step back and reflect on how we engage with one another, recognizing that we are all commanded to seek unity. We will not always have the unity we seek, and we should be cautious about seeking unity for its own sake. We are indeed commanded to be united, but we are to be united in the truth. At the same time, we damage the cause of unity when we are always combative in our approach. Even more so when we fail to learn from those who came before us.

Soli Deo Gloria