New Book on What to Do When Christians Disagree: Mending a Fractured Church

Ridley College, with guest contributor Peter Leithart, have produced a volume on what to do when Christians disagree.

It called: Mending a Fractured Church: How to Seek Unity with Integrity (Bellingham, WA: Lexham, 2015) edited by Michael Bird and Brian Rosner.

This volume seeks to answer such questions about pursuing unity amidst diversity and controversy, looking to the Bible for examples of how to behave when Christians differ. Speaking to pastors, churches, and seminary students, this book provides a guide to maintaining unity without compromise.

• Andrew Malone explores some of the New Testament’s teaching about differences, discussing our call to unity despite our diversity.
• Lindsay Wilson looks to Joshua 22 for a case study in conflict resolution, drawing principles from two groups that both had a right motivation in their actions.
• Brian Rosner uses Paul’s arguments in Romans 14–15 as an example of how to work through disputable matters in the church.
• Michael Bird examines the tension in the Johannine letters between loving others, especially those in the church, and holding uncompromisingly to the Christological foundation of the church’s faith.
• Rhys Bezzant argues that the existence of disputable matters within our church is a sign of health rather than sickness.
• Peter J. Leithart discusses the many segments of the Christian church today, providing several fascinating examples of Christian movements that fall outside our traditional classification system.

The Lexham Press blog provides an excerpt from my chapter on the Johannine Letters about love and schism.

The book is ready for pre-order through the Logos platform for only $4.99, but will be available in paperback in the new year for $10.99.