"Christianity as movement and spiritual way
"Christianity first appeared in history as a way (odos tou Christou) and as a movement, that is, prior to its sedimentation in the Gospels, doctrines, rituals, and churches. The character of spiritual way and movement is something perennial and has ever been maintained throughout history; it is a type of Christianity that has its own route. It generally lives on the margin and sometimes at a critical distance from the official institution, but it arises out of and is nourished from the ongoing fascination for the figure of Jesus of Nazareth and for his liberating and spiritual message. Initially regarded as heresy of the Nazarenes (Acts 24:5), or simply 'heresy' (Acts 28:22) in the sense of 'little group,' it slowly gained autonomy until its followers were called Christians, as attested in the Acts of the Apostles (11:36). The Jesus movement is certainly the greatest strength of Christianity because it is not boxed in to institutions or imprisoned in doctrines and dogmas. It is made up of all kinds of people, from the most varied cultures and spiritual traditions, even agnostics and atheists who let themselves be deeply touched by his courageous figure, his freedom-loving spirit, his deeply humanistic message, his ethic of unconditional love, especially for the poor and oppressed, and by the way he took on the drama of human destiny, in the midst of humiliation, torture, and execution on the cross. He presented an image of God that was so close and friendly to life that it is hard to get away from it, even for someone who doesn't believe in God. Many say: If there is a God, it must be the one that has the features of the God of Jesus. They all feel attracted and close to his ideals and manner of life. The Jesus movement stands out as a high form of humanism and reveals a religious belief, but also a nonreligious belief in the value of the human person, including his or her transcendent dimension."
