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

“We live in an extremely politicized and polarized age with many big personalities out in front. But this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. Tim Cooper’s wonderful little book gives us realistic historical reflections that then generate relevant practical advice for us. He encourages us to look back in order that we might learn from (flawed) heroes of the past even as we seek to navigate our own (flawed) engagement in the present. This is a genuinely helpful volume.”

“In When Christians Disagree, Tim Cooper investigates the impact of personality and pride, history and hostility, and experience and environment on the tragic breakdown of peace between two giants of the Puritan movement—John Owen and Richard Baxter. Demonstrating that every believer (and pastor) has blind spots, struggles with sin, and wrestles with pride, Cooper draws practical implications for Christians striving to cultivate unity and humility in the body of Christ. The reflections of this insightful, balanced, and accessible work are invaluable for pastoral ministry, historical analysis, and practical Christian living. Above all, the failures that Cooper highlights in the lives of Owen and Baxter should encourage us to boast alone in the one perfect man—the spotless Lamb of God whose glories these men rejoiced to proclaim.”

“In an age of increasing tribalism, this little book gives us an important lesson in wisdom. While well written, it is a painful read, for as Cooper describes it, it is like watching a car crash in slow motion to see the clash between Baxter and Owen, two godly but human giants of seventeenth-century English Christianity. There is much here for us to learn: the complexity of factors, prejudices, and (potentially distorting) filters that make for disagreements between Christians. May God use this volume to increase our humility and our prudence as we navigate disagreements today and strive for healthy unity in the gospel.”

“Disagreements in the family of God are rarely dispassionate affairs because they are born out of the most deeply held convictions of complex creatures. Tim Cooper masterfully illustrates this dynamic in his account of the tragic feud between John Owen and Richard Baxter. This volume represents the best kind of church history—personal, probing, and directly applicable to contemporary Christian life.”