What is a Peripheral Christian Debate?

A peripheral Christian debate is a theological issue over which Christians may disagree without being disagreeable. Christianity is by far the most divided "religion" in the world. There are Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Orthodox, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Episcopalians, Reformed, Bretheren, and several others. Many of those "brands" have several smaller denominations within themselves. That does not even include all of the non-denominational churches and parachurch organizations today. Why have so many splits occurred in church history, creating so many different labels as those just mentioned? One reason is because there are so many peripheral Christian debates that stir-up vigorous disagreement among Christians.

A peripheral Christian debate is not to be mistaken for an essential Christian doctrine. On crystal-clear biblical truths (such as the virgin birth, the Deity of Jesus Christ, His atoning death on the cross, His resurrection, His second coming, salvation by grace through faith alone, etc.) there is no room for compromise! But on peripheral issues of theology, there is some room for disagreement without threatening the preservation of the gospel. The following are a few examples of what many believers consider to be peripheral Christian debates:

The Recipient of Baptism (Infant Baptism vs. Believers' Baptism)
The Method of Baptism (Immersion vs. Sprinkling vs. Pouring)
God's Sovereignty and Man's Freedom (Calvinism vs. Amyraldianism vs. Arminianism)
The Timing of the Rapture (Pretribulationism vs. Midtribulationism vs. Posttribulationism)
The Meaning of the Millenium in Rev. 20 (Premillenialism vs. Amillenialism vs. Postmillenialism)
The "Sons of God" in Gen. 6 (Fallen Angels vs. Seth's Descendants vs. Other)
The Origin of Demons (Angels in Heaven vs. Pre-Adamic Race on Earth vs. Both)
The "Six Days" of Creation (Literal 24-Hour Periods vs. the "Day-Age" Theory)
Miraculous Spiritual Gifts (Cessationism vs. Cautious Continualism vs. Pentecostalism)
Foot Washing (Church Ordinance vs. Principal Only)

Christians can (and should) debate over issues as these, but without using any of them as a "litmus test" to discern if a person is or is not a true Christian. I may be quite dogmatic in my views on many of the controversial issues listed above, but I do not dismiss my critics as heathens or heretics, for they may very well be true Christians. Therein lies the difference between debating and dividing. If we do not learn to disagree agreeably over peripheral Christian debates, we will continue to cause division in times whenever God does not call for it.