ABSTRACT
The{present-day]crisisinChristianityisnotreallyacrisisofitsmessageandthe contentoffaith,butratheracrisisofitsinstitutions,inthatthesearetooremote
fromthepracticalmeaningoftheChristianmessage. 1
Christianity's'sacraments'havelongbeendefinedasitscentralinstitutionsandthe waythattheologytodaydefinesthemisindeed'remotefromthepracticalmeaning oftheChristianmessage',withitsaccessibleGodofloveandsuffering,its imperativetoforgive,itsethicofsocialjusticeanditsclaimthathopeisgreater thandeath.Thisislargelybecausetheconventionaldefinitionofsacramentalityis remotefrombothcurrentphilosophicalnorms,ontheonehand,andreportsof experiencedpraxis,ontheother.
