Chapter VIII, Christianity, The Mystical body of Christ, Summary and Analysis

The early Christians did not feel themselves alone and began calling themselves by the Greek name of ekklesia meaning the "called out". They began possessing a world that they believed God had already possessed for them. They perceived the spirit that Jesus had promised them as God's empowering presence among them. It was not until the fourth century A. D. that the spirit was given an identity that made up the divine Trinity. The mystical body of Christ that came into existence in an "upper room" in Jerusalem was animated by this spirit. It was a bonding element in the early church. This body on earth falls short of perfection because it is made up of human beings, but it is purified through the "tincture" of the...