Organizational revival from within: Explaining revivalism and reform in the Roman Catholic Church

The most enduring theoretical model for explaining the rise and fall of rel igious movements has been same form of the church-sect theory. Yet this mod el offers little explanation for the continued vitality of the Roman Cathol ic Church. We argue that a key to this institutional success is the Church' s ability to retain sect-like revival movements within its boundaries. We d emonstrate that religious orders, like Protestant sects, stimulate organiza tional growth, develop innovations for adapting the church to a new culture or era, and provide institutional support for a high tension faith. Unlike protestant sects, however they do so within the institutional church. This source of internal reform and revival helps to explain the long term vital ity of the Roman Catholic Church and its ability to operate effectively as a religious monopoly.