Restorationism refers to various unaffiliated movements that considered contemporary Christianity , in all its forms , to be a deviation from the true , original Christianity , which these groups then attempted to `` Reconstruct '' , often using the Book of Acts as a `` guidebook '' or sorts . Restorationism refers to the belief that a purer form of Christianity should be restored using the early church as a model . In many cases , restorationist groups believed that contemporary Christianity , in all its forms , had deviated from the true , original Christianity , which they then attempted to `` Reconstruct '' , often using the Book of Acts as a `` guidebook '' of sorts .