Dealing with Devilish Disagreers: A Field Guide for Christian Disciples (Part 1 of 2)

A sneak peek at my next book on disagreement

I pitched a book proposal. Here’s a sneak peek of Part 1: Description and Contribution.

Description

To most Christians, disagreement seems like a four-letter word. It doesn’t quite register as a curse word, but it strikes us as a kind of unholy word. We feel icky or dirty when we do it. We get uncomfortable around it, and plenty of believers are quick to squash it when it pops its head among friends. As a general rule, we believe it’s something a Christian should avoid. You might have to do it in the classroom or at work, but it probably shouldn’t be done in the pew, and it should never, ever be pursued.  

Because the belief is that disagreement is a sin. Or, at the very least, it’s a consequence of our fallen nature. Disagreement isn’t what’s supposed to happen when two Christians open their mouths. Two followers of Jesus should always agree (Matthew 18:19). They have to agree. Disagreement is one of Satan’s most insidious schemes to divide the Church. “If there wasn’t sin, we wouldn’t disagree; and if we didn’t disagree, we would all agree.” Disagreement is a waste of words, a corruption of Christian conversation, and a deviation from true dialogue. So the thinking goes.