Profound vs. Captain Obvious

Christianity began with actual, personal relationships with Jesus Christ.  When Christianity moved to Athens, it became a philosophy, still perceived by the world as a "Jewish" diversion though it strove for inclusivity.  When it spread to Rome, it became an organization, the Church, a quasi-political entity.  Next, Christianity covered Europe, where it became complexly intertwined with European culture, to the extent that to live in Europe throughout the Dark Ages and most of the Renaissance was to be Christian, if not in word than certainly in deed.  When Christianity migrated to the New World, especially in America, it became a business, and a large, profitable one at that.  Now, in the modern day, Christianity seeks to support and propound the business, whilst simultaneously encouraging believers to seek an actual, personal relationship with Christ.

Have we come full circle, or are we still quite willing participants in our perception of what the Church should be, without seeing it for what it has become?

Can we tell the difference, from within?

I'm not sure we can.  I fear we have to remove ourselves from the construct to see the reality.