The institutionalization of the church—bane or blessing? Admittedly, institutionalization can end up in a debilitating institutionalism. Yet this need not be so. This study offers a critique of the popular misconception that institutions necessarily hinder rather than help Christianity affect its mission. Institutions, or, better stated, the institutional and corporate structures of Christianity, enable the churches to maintain a sense of identity while adapting to various cultures. In order to be effective, the Christian faith must become incarnate in a variety of human cultures.
This fundamentally different approach to the study of the history of the early church demonstrates how the church went about its remarkable feat of winning the Empire. Such a study is very relevant for our time, when all institutions are taking a critical battering from all sides.
E. Glenn Hinson is Professor of Church History at Southern Seminary.