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Notes -
Ah, I should have made the distinction more clear. I think they only contradict each other if you conflate sociological and theological concerns. Sociologically speaking, strong institutions are necessary to resist the pressure of modernity. Theologically speaking, the point I'm making is that the churches might all succumb to modernity - much as the prophets succumbed and were killed and persecuted - but that God might still draw victory out of it, much as he drew victory out of the death of his Son.
You need strong institutions in order to win a political or social battle, as it were. But I'd content that Christianity ought to recast the importance of winning such battles. The purpose of Christian life, as it were, is to be crucified with Christ. It is to share in his death so that we may share in his life. Romans 6:5-11. It is, in a way, to choose to be defeated along with Christ.
Certainly, the sacraments are essential. But - and perhaps this is somewhere I depart from Catholicism - I'm not convinced that you need the entire institutional hierarchy to have the sacraments. Even for the most high church Catholic, all you need is a priest, and even then, laypeople can perform sacraments in extremis, most notably baptism. Sacraments may imply some minimal level of organisation, but they don't take you all the way to the pope handing down decrees from the Vatican, and neither do they imply that should a heretic (God forbid) sit on Peter's throne, everything is doomed.
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