A Christian Plan?

I found this book the other day that was pro reform for the systems in Islam religious society. It said the following:

Bernard Lewis suggests another, more intriguing possibility. He points out that early Islam was egalitarian and nonhierarchical, in contrast to the Christian pyramid of priest, bishop, archbishop, cardinal, and pope. Much later, the Turks appointed a series of religious officers, culminating in the grand mufti, who was roughly the archbishop of Istanbul. IN the past few decades the Iranians have created out of thin air an entirely new bureaucracy of ayatollahs that imitates almost exactly the modern Catholic apparatus. Perhaps, hopes Lewis, "They may in time provoke a Reformation." The Birth of Plenty by William Bernstein

I found this surprising because the author seems to think that "pyramid" setup is a positive thing. When it obviously works in contrast with how God's system works. Whats more is that the book goes on to relate that modern societies will have elements of this pyramid as its structure. Top down. Makes you think if a modern society will help or hurt us spiritually if that is the case.