Abstract: A messaging system treats a set of related messages, such as an e-mail string between two or more people, as a message container having relational references to one or more submessages. A messaging server stores the messages and submessages as discrete message components having content. In addition, the messaging server includes a context module having a context database. The context module defines a knowledge taxonomy having context categories. The context module creates contexts by associating portions of content from the message components with the context categories. The context module also specifies rights and properties of end-users with respect to the context categories and contexts. The context module performs operations utilizing the contexts. The contexts thus allow an enterprise to structure information contained within its electronic messages.