Some Thoughts on “Javertism” in the Church (3)
In my first post in this series I suggested three forms of Javertism, a moralistic and legalistic version of “Christian” faith symbolized by Inspector Javert in “Les Miserables,” that afflict much of the church in our time. They are Moralistic Javertism, Legalistic Javertism, and Psychological Javertism. In this post we’ll look at the third form, psychological Javertism. This form of Javertism posits that people don’t change. You are what you are, and that is all you are or can be. This kind of determinism locks people into attitudes and roles which form a straitjacket around their lives. This form of Javertism goes hand in hand with the other two. Moralism inclines us to view ourselves and others as either basically “good” or “bad” people which in turn shapes our expectations and interpretations of their actions. Thus,...