Editor and Christian writer Phyllis Tickle talks about 5 “hinge times” in Christianity:

1. Great Transformation (dominance of the Roman empire)
2. Great Fall (the Roman Senate dissolves; beginning of the Dark Ages)
3. Great Schism (the Catholic Church splits between Rome and Constantinople)
4. Great Reformation (14th and 15th century)
5. Great Emergence (present day)

At each major phase, over-regulation of religion robbed faith of much of its meaning. The resulting reaction was a search for a new direction. This interesting article contains this quote:

“You’re here to serve the kingdom of God, not to save the church.”