Legalism, Laxism, and Antinomianism in the Church Today

Legalism, laxism, and antinomianism are rather common occurrences in the Church today but are all deficient approaches to the proper understanding and application of the law. Legalism separates the law from its inner theological and pastoral purposes. Laxism harms the law by diminishing its relevanc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Paprocki, Thomas John 1952- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Catholic University of America 2022
In: The jurist
Year: 2022, Volume: 78, Issue: 2, Pages: 369-382
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Aristoteles 384 BC-322 BC / Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274 / Johannes Paul, II., Pope 1920-2005 / Legalism / Laxism / Constitutional state
IxTheo Classification:SA Church law; state-church law
SB Catholic Church law
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Summary:Legalism, laxism, and antinomianism are rather common occurrences in the Church today but are all deficient approaches to the proper understanding and application of the law. Legalism separates the law from its inner theological and pastoral purposes. Laxism harms the law by diminishing its relevance to pursuing and advancing these higher purposes. Antinomianism denies the rightful role of law in setting a just order for the community. In contrast to legalism, laxism, and antinomianism, there stands the rule of law, according to which those who exercise the power of governance do so through law, not their arbitrary whims. This paper seeks to describe the true purpose of law based on the teachings of Sacred Scripture and the writings of scholarly thinkers such as Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Pope St. John Paul II.
Contains:Enthalten in: The jurist
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1353/jur.2022.0019