This book establishes a fundamental distinction between the Church and the ecclesiastical institution. Based on this distinction, it questions a structure that, rather than leading the soul directly to God, can come to occupy God’s place in the human conscience, thereby limiting freedom. According to the text, the Institution is not simply a human structure for the organization of religion, but the manifestation of a spirit that seeks to take God’s place in the conscience of souls, usurping their freedom and their ability to make decisions before God.