“This is a form of Christianity with little institutional depth, little rationality and even less dogmatic content, and with little stability”
Kind of sounds like the first century church.
Which however did soon develop institutions that have enabled the Church to persist for more than 2000 years.and dogmas that have prevented splintering into small sects with little social impact, and a rationality that is the foundation of modern culture.
“This is a form of Christianity with little institutional depth, little rationality and even less dogmatic content, and with little stability”No kidding!Kind of sounds like the first century church.
In the Bible we read about deacons, presbyters (whether we translate that "priests" or not) and bishops, and we have St. Peter elevated to some unnamed unique role. The hoyl Father is correct in seeing in institutional flatness a defect of late forms of Protestantisms that we do not see int he Early Church.
little rationality
The New Testament gives us plenty of rational reasoning, just open any doctrinal epistle by st. Paul or St. Peter and read things like "we have not by following artificial fables, made known to you the power, and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ; but we were eyewitnesses of his greatness" (2 Peter 1:16). That Protestant snake-charmers and tongue-babblers are indeed off their rational rocker, please do not accuse the First Church or irrationality.
little stability
The Church Christ built on the faith of Peter was prophesied to prevail against Gates of Hell till the end of the Age. Which she did. That would be building on a rock. In the meanwhile, the late Protestants -- matter of fact, not so late also -- split and split again, and cannot present any coherent doctrine beyond cheap slogans, even to their own flock. How many Presbyterians we have, again? Are Assemblies of God different from Pentecostals in anything of substance? And no one persecutes them. They just cannot hold their puny remnant of authentic Christianity together.
Early Christians also debated (as we read in Acts) with the Platonists etc. of their day with rationality -- Christianity is not irrational, ask any Presbyterian
Early Christianity had the same depth of dogma as we do today -- read the Didache.
And stability -- the Churches were rooted in their cities and communities, so yes, pretty stable and incredibly stable in dogma.