When Christians Disagree: Lessons from the Fractured Relationship of John Owen and Richard Baxter

by Tim Cooper, Michael A.G. Haykin (foreword)

Two Oppositional Figures in Church History Shed Light on Division in the Church Today

Our current culture seems to be increasingly divided on countless issues, including those affecting the church. But for centuries, theological disagreements, political differences, and issues relating to church leadership have made it challenging for Christians to foster unity and love for one another.

In this book, author Tim Cooper explores this polarization through the lives of two oppositional figures in church history: John Owen and Richard Baxter. Cooper highlights their individual stories while showing how their contrasting life experiences, personalities, and temperaments led to their inability to work together. After exploring these lessons from the past, readers will gain insights into their own relationships, ultimately learning how to love and live in harmony with their fellow believers despite their disagreements.

Timely: In today’s deeply divided culture, this book offers past examples to help spur unity among believers today
Historical: Biographical examination of two Puritan writers from the 17th century: John Owen and Richard Baxter
Accessible: Short format and crisp writing style offer an engaging story with no background knowledge required

Genres: Christian Living, Biography, Theology, Church History, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction

184 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2024

Reviews

[Ben Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a very well-researched and well-written book. I am thankful to have read it, and I find the thought-provoking reflection questions and “lessons” quite helpful as I prepare to preach Acts 15:36-41 this coming Lord’s Day.

However, I must register one quibble. I fear the substantive theological disputes suffered a lesser treatment due to the other factors the author considers (e.g., experience, personality, motives and agendas, memory, etc.). At times, the theology was not only relativized to the same level as these lesser matters, but was itself made out to be less important. For example, “some of the particular theological issues that were so important to Baxter and Owen might now seem foreign, trivial, and pedantic to us. Is it possible that the issues that animate controversy today can be equally the product of our own time in place and, taking a long view, are not important enough to divide over? Are the issues that so exercise us in fact peripheral?” (84–5). Moreover, in the conclusion, he summarizes, “This was more a clash of personalities than it was a clash of ideas” (124). Though I’m no scholar of the 17th century, I don’t think that’s quite fair to either Baxter’s or Owen’s self-understanding.

[Brother Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came at the right time. Our disunity and disagreements are more than merely theological. We bring our own personal histories, experiences, personalities and geography into conflicts and need to have the humility to acknowledge that, be self-reflective and slow to reactivity.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I think of recent feuds, musicians like Drake and Kendrick Lamar or athletes like Kobe and Shaq come to mind. I’m surprised by how hot the emotions get when observers choose sides. The substance of these trivial beefs rarely leaves the circles of pop culture, yet their effects seep into our lives. We get so accustomed to the silliness of these debates that we sometimes underestimate substantive divisions in our circles and fail to navigate them well…

Full review at https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/re...

[Daniel Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an introduction this was a great book. I had never heard of their disagreements before. It was a good easy biographical read with profound implications for conflicts we might have today. The author did a good job using this story to show how we as Christians can be charitable in conflicts.

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced and good read. I would characterize it as homiletical history. I was not aware of the conflict between Owen and Baxter, and Cooper presents it clearly and compellingly, if a bit heavy on the psychological analysis (especially in the first half). I think that the best chapter is the one entitled Memory. While a more scholarly treatment (such as the one upon which this book is based) would have to be more careful and tentative in its conclusions about factors of personality and sociology, Cooper does a fine job marshaling evidence for his practical points. More emphasis could have been given to matters of trust (and how it is established between public figures), suspicion, and indifference. For example, I suspect that Owen might not have esteemed Baxter as particularly important or worth his attention/concern. May God use this book to promote civility, unity, and even healthy realignment among conservative (and Calvinistic/Reformed) evangelicals in our day.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing historical case study of two Christian men who didn’t get along (to put it mildly).

[Garrett Mullet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Cooper’s When Christians Disagree presents the conflict between John Owen and Richard Baxter as fundamentally relatable, stemming from personal, contextual, and doctrinal differences.

The first area of difference, leading to deep hostility and distrust, lies in their contrasting temperaments and approaches to scholarship. Baxter, largely self-taught, clashed with Owen, who had a formal education at Queen's College, Oxford. Their temperaments also differed: Owen was melancholic, while Baxter was choleric.

Their regional upbringings further influenced their perspectives. The different ways their respective regions experienced the broader national conflict, including civil war and revolution, shaped their views on the relationship between civil and ecclesial authorities and the individual Christian conscience.

Cooper argues that these differences also contributed to their divergent concerns regarding threats to the Church. Baxter, who as a military chaplain witnessed the horrors of lawlessness firsthand, viewed antinomianism—opposing the law—as the greatest danger, seeing it as incompatible with Christ's command to keep His commandments and James' warning that "faith without works is dead." Owen, on the other hand, was more concerned with Arminianism, fearing that it allowed man to claim credit for his salvation, which should be attributed solely to God's grace.

This led Owen to suspect Baxter of subtly promoting salvation by works, while Baxter viewed Owen's emphasis on grace as contributing to rampant wickedness hiding from accountability behind a faulty view of justification.

I found Cooper’s account of their conflict fascinating and well-told. However, I was wary of Cooper's suggestion that the two men should have prioritized unity and niceness over proclaiming and defending truth. While it's essential to recognize that Owen and Baxter were products of their time, it’s equally important to acknowledge that we, too, are influenced by our cultural context. Today, there’s a tendency to downplay theological convictions in favor of preserving unity, risking compromise of the Great Commission’s call to teach obedience to Christ's commands for the sake of at least appearing to all be together and getting along.

At the same time, it’s true that selfish ambition and cultural pressures have always caused unnecessary conflict, and always will - they did in the 1st century and the 17th, and they certainly still do today. We must strive to avoid such motivations in our actions. Yet we must appreciate that such motivations are not necessarily absent faux claims of preferring or pursuing unity over fidelity to the Word of God.

Ultimately, put another way, I hope we learn the right lessons from Owen and Baxter’s conflict. While we should avoid unnecessary strife, we must not downplay the importance of sound doctrine, as emphasized, for instance, by the Apostle Paul, who didn’t shy away from confronting error in the early Church. God can work through conflicts to bring about good, even in seemingly unnecessary debates and disagreements which today's Christian too easily dismisses as trivial, tedious, and arcane. And for what it's worth, who is to say whether both Baxter and Owen would have found something to agree ardently about in being appalled by our propensity to such?

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, well-researched, and well-written, this book explores the diverse experiences, personalities, and theological perspectives of two leading seventeenth century leaders in Puritan England, with a practical focus on gleaning lessons to apply to the controversies of our own day. While I think this is a helpful book, it did seem to me that the author downplayed the innovative element in Baxter’s doctrine of justification and the legitimate threat it posed to Reformed evangelical orthodoxy - a threat Owen very clearly perceived. The author also has to read between the lines quite a bit for his psychological analysis of Owen - a man who rarely referred to himself in his writings. It’s also notable (and the author brings this out quite clearly) that Baxter was an exasperating man and a biblicist with little tolerance for confessions of faith — this in a day when men like Owen were fighting hard to guard the faith from dangerous heretical movements like Socinianism. While Baxter wasn’t a Socinian, his biblicism certainly played into their hands. All this to say, I think it’s a bit unfair to lay the blame for this fractured relationship equally on Owen and Baxter (though Owen certainly had his faults) and wish the author did not minimize their theological differences — although I did appreciate how he demonstrated the different concerns driving the theological convictions of the two men. But whatever the psychological reasons for their respective theologies, and regardless of how poorly Owen may have handled the controversy at some points, Owen was right and Baxter was wrong on the issues themselves.

[Gailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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."

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disagreement is rarely strictly-theological.

[Billy Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They are a lived example of how even the most godly Christians disagree and do a pretty poor job of it and how relationships break down even between the most sincere believers.”

I enjoyed this book. I appreciate how her both gives a lesson in church history but also gives practical and pastoral implications about the different factors that go beneath our everyday disagreements we face with other believers.
4 and a half stars.

[Eric Durso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at two church history heavyweights. Wished he shared more of his own opinions.

[Josh Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his introduction, the author poignantly states the following regarding the fractured relationship of Baxter & Owen:

"The point of their story is not so much that Christians disagree but how they go about their disagreement. 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. As Martin Luther once observed, we are sinners and saints all at the same time."

I love how Cooper begins chapter 1:

"...Only God is good; none of us are good. We have many fine qualities, to be sure, and we retain the image of God, but we are flawed, deeply flawed. Even the best of us is shot through with human sinfulness and frailty. We are all vulnerable to blind spots and besetting sins. Our best efforts are colored by imperfection. There are no exceptions. Only God is good." p. 9

I learned much about these two men that I did not know both from a historical and theological perspective. I also learned that mankind has not changed, regardless of the century that we live in. Christians fought over principles they believed in (or didn't) way back in the day just like Christians do today. Some things change; some things remain the same.

The best takeaway that I have from the book was found in the conclusion where the author submits five possibilities...five truths that could have kept these two giants of the faith from feuding to the degree that they did. They were helpful truths and ones to ponder.

As Baxter is quoted in this book, "It is the interest of Satan to divide the servants of Christ." I hereby agree wholeheartedly.

[Andrew Canavan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has an interesting and convicting intent: to encourage Christians to pursue unity and understanding by remembering that theological disagreements often have roots in differences in personality and experience, not just theology. All of that is good and helpful. The choice of subjects to illustrate this, however, is puzzling. John Owen and Richard Baxter did disagree and both acted poorly, as well documented in this book. But John Owen was right and Baxter was wrong on their primary difference: justification by faith alone. The author treats this as a dusty and narrow issue that doesn’t matter anymore. That’s simply not an accurate assessment. Baxter, as presented in the book, comes across as an annoying, neonomian biblicist. Owen, while certainly not perfect, defended orthodoxy and gospel truth faithfully and effectively. So, yes, personality and experience do factor into theological disagreement. But sometimes strong theological conflict is needed to decisively defend biblical truth.

[Blue Morse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Baxter and John Owen are my two favorite Puritans, men whose writings have encouraged my heart to no end, particularly during some of the greatest valleys in my life. Hence, this was one I had to read when my brother from New Zealand recommended it to me.

Author and Professor Tim Cooper reveals two truths about these men:

1. They were two of the most godly men of their century.

2. They acted in the most ungodly way toward one another.

These two truths are not mutually exclusive and that is why this book is such an essential read for the modern church, particularly in our world of increasing polarization where it is so easy to take to social media to blast one another over disagreements. Ironically, it was the "modern capabilities" of the printing press (the 'social media' of the 17th Century) that enabled these men to write disparagingly about one another long before they even had the opportunity to meet face to face.

Cooper writes that Baxter and Owen offer us an "archetype of conflict between Christians that, for all the distance between them and us, is enduringly relevant to our own day."

And in this "mix of greatness and fallibility", Cooper teaches us 5x lessons:

1. Even the most conscientious Christians disagree, particularly when there is no one to mediate between them.
2. It helps to focus on what hold us together, particularly when the differences are relatively narrow.
3. We must pay more attention to those verses in Scripture that "summon us to unity and concord."
4. There is "no problem in the world that cannot be solved by humility." These men had no problems seeing the enormous amount of pride in “the other person”.
5. It helps to step back and see how experience, personality, and memory all create a lens through which we view the disagreement.

As an aside, as one who can at times nearly idolize the puritans, this was a great reminder that “even the best of men are at their best, just men.”

One great summary quote:

"The point of their story is not so much that Christians disagree but how they go about their disagreements. 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."

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scripture proclaims, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1, ESV). Yet, too often Christians are at each other’s throats and not only disobey their Lord; they miss out on the rich blessing of walking in unity. Tim Cooper’s book, When Christians Disagree explores how two titans of the faith were at odds with one another and draws out some practical lessons for us over four hundred years later.

Cooper introduces the two titans of the Christian faith, John Owen and Richard Baxter. Both Puritans, born at the beginning of the seventeenth century, these men fought vigorously about their understanding of Scripture. Even when they met face to face, their animosity was not quelled but maximized.

While the controversy that ensued between these two men is complex, the author is quick to sum up the point of contention:

Owen worried about the Arminians: they would be aided by anyone who emphasized, as Baxter did, human response and responsibility. Baxter worried about the antinomians: they would be aided by anyone who emphasized, as Owen did, God’s eternal decrees and the exact price for sin paid by Christ on the cross. These underlying fears made it extremely difficult for each man to see in the other the many points they held in common. Rather, each one saw the other as aiding and abetting the enemy. (p. 69)

While the historical debate between Owen and Baxter proves interesting, the larger lesson for contemporary readers is how we benefit from this tragic clash of personalities in our lives and ministries. Cooper shares a bit of advice that is timely: “I was once told that there is no problem in the world that cannot be solved by humility - humility from all those involved.” This rich counsel combined with other biblical wisdom makes this book incredibly important.

Instead of casting blame on Owen and Baxter, we should learn from their sinful responses to one another and strive to be united in our interactions with others. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35, ESV)

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.

[Will O'kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and sobering look at two giants of the faith. There is much wisdom to be gleaned from looking at the antipathy these men shared.

I was reminded that true doctrinal unity is such a profound gift and evidence of the Holy Spirit working.

As one reviewer pointed out, there did seem to be a subtle undertone from the author suggesting that because of the relational conflict between the two men, doctrine should have been emphasized less and relational unity should have been emphasized more. While I think there are many dangers that need to be guarded against when pursuing doctrinal unity, I hope that readers are not dissuaded from continuing the pursuit. Just because a thing is dangerous and fraught with risk doesn't mean we shouldn't do it.

[Joshua Biggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very niche. Very interesting.

[Connor Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a toe-dip into the controversy. It left me wanting more details. Cooper raises more questions than he answers in a helpful way that provokes self-reflection. Would recommend. Makes me want to read his longer monograph, “John Owen, Richard Baxter, and the Formation of English Nonconformity”.

[Mark Loughridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Salutary and worth the read. Many lessons to learn.

[Jason Mccool · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book that is so relevant for our fractured times. I may have an infinite backlog of books to read, but this is one I plan to read again more intensively next year. I heard an interview with the author, Tim Cooper, on the Crossway podcast that first caught my attention. From start to finish, the book gripped me with this intriguing story of how 2 respected, towering figures of the Puritan age, who had so much they agreed on doctrinally and so many goals in common, could be at such odds with each other and not exhibit any of the brotherly love Christians should have for each other (or even the love of enemies we should also have). Of course, the author uses this distant, now calm battle to help readers see our current conflicts in a clearer light, and it certainly convicted me of so many failings in that regard, but in a very edifying way.

For better or worse, I can relate very well to Baxter's attitude of "Though I offend, I must say that which cannot be hid," but Cooper really showed the unintended consequences of that well-intended motive. He also really made these two godly but flawed men very real, and their clashing personalities very recognizable in our own interactions. As he noted, Owen could be easily offended and Baxter could easily offend, so conflict regardless of actual differences in beliefs could be readily anticipated just because of their different personalities that would tend to rub the other the wrong way. But Cooper was also insightful in highlighting their remarkably different experience of the English Civil War as another contributing factor. He also drew some even more insightful parallels between the newly unleashed technology of their time - the spread of the printing press and the lifting of publishing constraints that allowed these two to criticize each other from a distance, in public, and in writing permanent enough that we can still read their invectives over 350 years later - with the faster and equally unsocial media of our age. It was a sad story because it was really only looking at the darker side of two men that that were such bright lights, and he developed the story like one seeing the events leading up to an inevitable train wreck and not being able to stop it. You just find yourself wincing at each new development and thinking, "that's not going to end well...." But it's good to learn from their mistakes as we often tread the same dark path, only with communication technology that lets us too quickly run the bitter path they could only walk.

The last thing Cooper did that I benefited from was the provision of thoughtful questions at the end of each chapter to apply the lessons calmly observed from their long-cold fight to our current fights that still burn hot and cloud our judgement. I think this would make an excellent book for a book club, church discipleship group, or just a group of friends to read and talk about together.

[Paul Pavlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book that revealed aspects of these two men that I was totally unaware of. I was saddened by much of the book, as I value these men and their writing (Owen more so than Baxter). It just goes to show that no matter how much the Spirit works within a person to produce good, in this life the flesh is ever present.

I greatly appreciated the questions that were asked at the end of each chapter and need to spend some time thinking through how I would answer those questions. I appreciated how each chapter dealt with a specific theme which gave a good overview of who these men were and why they struggled so much to agree with one another, and even get along. I can't help but wonder what good may have come if there was someone who was able to bring both of them together through mediation, but given their personalities, I imagine that would have been incredibly difficult.

Even though this book was a quick read because of how interesting it was, there were times when it was hard to tell who the author was speaking about at any given moment, but that may have just been due to listening to this book rather than reading it.

Highly recommended for anyone who has read anything by these men. It doesn't change my admiration for their works, but it does open my eyes more to see the men behind the words.

[Flynn Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two reasons I am grateful for this book. One is that it presents to Christians the excruciating reality of how two otherwise faithful believers can almost inextricably have a falling out on account of their own humanity. The second is that Cooper’s exploration of such humanity in both Baxter and Owen does much to humanize our grasp of English Puritanism and helpfully undermines the otherwise hagiographic cherry-picking that can occur in popular studies of these figures. Cooper’s commitment to historiographical integrity helps us appreciate just how much these men were real people trying to imperfectly keep the faith like the rest of us. May his tribe increase.

[Garrett Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a history of the lives of these two men I very much enjoyed it, however the practical application squeezed out of the historical retelling was, in my opinion, lacking. There was some helpful reminders, however very little groundbreaking additions to the the life of a Christian in the midst of disagreements within the church.

[Chas Morse]

When Christians Disagree is a book that every believer needs to add to their must read list.

In today’s church we take disagreements to the level of cutting sincere and godly believer’s right out of the body and leaving them in isolation.

We do this even more with the use of social media and tools that can cause groups of people to attack the minority position, especially concerning theological ideas.

Because of that, we especially “live in a world of increasing polarization in which the members of warring tribes address each other with remarkable vitriol in the online environment.”

Cooper takes the conflict that existed between both Baxter and Owen (Two puritans that especially admire) and shows how we can arrive at the same wrong conclusions when we criticize each other in the body of Christ.

Not going to say anymore but to say that pg. 119-127 contain the best applications for us today to help us in our own personal relationships especially in the church.

Chas Morse

[Tanner Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Misleading title, which was frustrating at first, but the book was good.

Baxter was arrogant, Owen was stuck-up. This book was like a “Never meet your heroes” moment. If you like history, then read it!

[Jacob London · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good summary of historical events and reflections for our own personal conflicts.

[Conor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful and painfully relevant to the particular tribe I belong to. Heart knowing questions after each chapter are very helpful.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I thought this book was good and had a lot of good things to say, I wouldn't say it was amazing. I think this book really is meant more to start a discussion than to be read on its own.

[Becca Lemmon]

Really enjoyed this one! Great application questions to think about too.