ABSTRACT
Paul of Tarsus wrote, “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin”. Erving and Miriam Polster wrote about introjection describing it as the most basic form of learning. In psychotherapy an intrusive, directive therapist who pushes the client into practices, behaviors, exercises, and so on will not build autonomy and personal support in the patient. Rather, the patient will likely “swallow whole,” or introject what the therapist advocates, and that will lead to conformity but not personal growth. In Paul’s letter to the Christians living in Galatia, he made it clear that no one is justified by living according to the Mosaic law and attempting to fulfill its mandates. However, legalism is not limited to matters of the Mosaic law. Legalism in Christianity can be understood as any form of a performance-based economy. Also worth exploring, and surely related, are matters of conscience.
