The Englewood Review of Books
Best Books of 2024
Advent Calendar
December 12
The Englewood Review of Books
Learning to Disagree:
The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect
John Inazu
Hardback : Zondervan, 2024
Buy Now: [ BookShop ] [ Amazon ] [ Kindle ] [ Audible ]
Honestly, I often don’t want to love the people who disagree with me. My reflexes call them wrong. Stupid. Evil. Deserving of cancellation. Finding common ground, seeing people who oppose me as worthy of love and respect—it seems like a lot of work. But this book helped me see the importance of the work. Building bridges, rather than burning them down, can make life much more enjoyable—both for me and for others. Even if Inazu never explicitly states it in his book, he invites us to follow the way of Jesus. The way which shows us that all humans bear the image of their Creator, and that none are beasts beyond saving.
For the majority of my life, I have lived and moved in evangelical Christian spaces. I have watched the church move farther and farther away from unity. I come across polarizing differences in opinion—whether theological or political—which do nothing to build people up, but instead rip relationships apart. What might things look like if we approached each other with empathy first? How might things change if I looked at my neighbor, who voted for someone whose policies and personality I find abhorrent, and saw a man Jesus died to save? What kind of peace might our world find if we all recognized that the decisions we make—on both sides of any argument—come from what we personally call true and right, and that disagreeing doesn’t make the person on the other side evil?
Reading Learning to Disagree has brought these and other questions into my mind. I know that none of us will ever agree or get along with everybody. But, we can begin to cultivate spaces in which we treat people like people—not impersonal objects to cancel. In his closing paragraph, Inazu writes, “It’s a world of hard questions without easy answers. But…it’s also a world where a little bit of familiarity—and a little bit of empathy—can still go a long way” (166).
- from our review by Erin Beasley
[ READ the full review ]
*** LISTEN to a podcast interview with John Inazu…
<<<<<< PREVIOUS DAY’s Book
[ Return to the Advent Calendar ]
 Reading for the Common Good From ERB Editor Christopher Smith "This book will inspire, motivate and challenge anyone who cares a whit about the written word, the world of ideas, the shape of our communities and the life of the church." -Karen Swallow Prior Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletter & download your FREE copy of this ebook! |
Understanding Christian Nationalism [A Reading Guide] |
 Most Anticipated Books of the Fall for Christian Readers!
|
 Hilarious One-Star Customer Reviews of Bibles |
