It’s a well-known fact that doctrine divides. From the Church’s early days until now, the body of Christ has always been split into various factions because of doctrinal differences. But why do we have different doctrines when we use the same source material? Rhyne Putman answers this question and more in When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity.
The book has two main sections: why we disagree about doctrine and what we should do about doctrinal disagreement.
In the first part, Putman explains five reasons we disagree on doctrines, though we study the same Bible. First, we read imperfectly; we are all naturally limited in our understanding of the Scriptures. Second, we read differently; we approach and interpret the Bible using different methods. Third, we reason differently; we guess and draw conclusions based on different reasoning schemes. Fourth, we feel differently; we may allow our emotions to affect our interpretation of Scripture to a certain degree. And fifth, we have different biases and preconceived notions that taints our reading of the Scriptures.
The second part of the book is more practical and addresses what we ought to do about our doctrinal disagreements. It comprises three chapters.
In the first chapter, when should we change our minds, Putman offers a few pointers to consider before doubling down on our doctrinal stance. In the second chapter, when should doctrine divide us, Putman uses theological triage to rank doctrines according to their importance and explores when we should or shouldn’t divide over them. And in the third chapter, how then shall we disagree, Putman explains how Christians should handle doctrinal disagreement. He uses George Whitefield and John Wesley as examples.
Putman thoroughly and deftly explains why Christians disagree on doctrines. He did a lot of research and presented pertinent information on the role of hermeneutics, reasoning, emotions, and biases on our biblical interpretation. I learned a lot from this book; it provided me with many incredible insights to better handle doctrinal disagreements.
But I must say When Doctrine Divides the People of God is not an easy book to read. It’s heavily scholarly, features a lot of technical jargon, and the chapters are long with a ton of quotations and sources. It’s sometimes felt like Putman went out of his way to make this book as convoluted as possible. The book would have benefited from more simplification.
Nevertheless, I recommend the book to all Christians. It has a wealth of information to help us understand doctrinal disagreement and it provides useful advice on how to navigate them in a Christ-honoring way. You may also want to check out Finding the Right Hills to Die on by Gavin Ortlund
*Crossway graciously gave me a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. *
