Brotherly Wisdom

"The Church is not simply an institution. She is a "mode of existence," a way of being. The mystery of the Church, even in its institutional dimension, is deeply bound to the being of man, to the being of the world and to the very being of God." -John D. Zizioulas Being as Communion p. 15.

This quote seems to be a stumbling block, both for those with a disdain for anything institutional in the Church, and for those who would view the Church as merely a social club or spiritualized corporation.