I joined Twitter five years ago, and it is a decision I sometimes regret. Social media has a way of magnifying disagreements, and I have been struck by how much Christians bicker online. This trend is not unique to our time. Throughout history, Christians have disagreed, sometimes vehemently. In When Christians Disagree: Lessons from the Fractured Relationship of John Owen and Richard Baxter, Tim Cooper delves into one such historical conflict. This conflict involves two towering Puritan figures and offers valuable lessons on how believers can (and should not) navigate disagreements.
Cooper takes readers back to 17th-century England, introducing John Owen and Richard Baxter—two influential Christian leaders who had a very public and bitter falling out. The book is not an idealized portrayal of how Christians should handle their differences. Instead, it’s an honest, sometimes uncomfortable look at how their personalities, life experiences, and circumstances led to animosity.
Cooper doesn’t gloss over the uglier details of their dispute or the unflattering traits of both men. From the outset, he clarifies that while he admires Owen and Baxter, he aims to showcase the lessons we can learn from their ugly clash.
The book surprised me, as I had zero knowledge of the intense and dirty nature of Owen and Baxter’s dispute. I initially expected this to be an example of Christians disagreeing graciously. Instead, Cooper presents a cautionary tale—a study of how not to handle conflict. I was not shocked at the degree of animosity between them, having witnessed so much vitriol among Christians online. But seeing such behavior from Puritans, a group I hold in high esteem, was surprising and slightly disappointing.
As Cooper writes, “It is really quite remarkable that mature believers who are, in so many respects, magnificent examples of what it means to follow Jesus with faithfulness and sincerity can also be Christians with pronounced blind spots who demonstrate brittleness, selfishness, and ego in their relationships with others and who damage those around them. We are all human; we are each a mixed bag.”
Cooper also provides insightful analysis throughout the book. He suggests that Owen and Baxter couldn’t reconcile, primarily because of their contrasting personalities and experiences with the Civil War. I am no expert on psychology or human behavior, but I found his reasoning and insights fascinating.
The book’s structure is helpful for reflection. Each chapter (except the first) includes questions designed to help readers dig deeper into the issues presented and draw out practical lessons from the relationship between Owen and Baxter. The conclusion is beneficial, as Cooper highlights steps that might have healed their relationship had they been taken.
However, I enjoyed the book mainly for the historical insights into the lives of these men, even if their story was less than exemplary.
Overall, When Christians Disagree is a compelling and educational read. Cooper gives a vivid account of the fractured relationship between John Owen and Richard Baxter, offering valuable lessons on handling disagreements as believers. It reminds us that even those we admire are fallible—and that there’s always room for us to disagree better.
If this book interests you, you might also like Finding the Right Hills to Die on, and When Doctrine Divides the People of God.
*Crossway Publishers graciously gave me a copy for an honest review.*
