Is Biblical-Nouthetic Counseling Legalistic? Reexamination of a Biblical Theme

In this article, Ed Welch develops the theme of legalism and its opposite, faith. Rather than describing legalism simply as adherence to a set of extra-biblical laws, he attempts to expose the prideful motives and purposes behind the legalistic tendency that is resident in everyone. Legalism then becomes a powerful perspective on many presenting problems in counseling. Welch works an extended case study of a depressed woman, unpacking the motivational dynamics for her legalism, self-righteousness and despair.