The First Nationwide Alcoholics Anonymous History Conference

Phoenix, Arizona, February 21 - 23, 2003

Conference Theme:

God, Alcoholism, & A.A.

The Comments of Dick B.

Writer, Historian, Retired Attorney, Bible Student

“Whenever a civilization or society perishes, there is

always one condition present. They forgot where

they came from.” Carl Sandburg

Paradise Research Publications, Inc.

P.O. Box 837

Kihei, HI 96753-0837

Ph/fax: (808) 874 4876

Email: dickb@dickb.com

URL: http://www.dickb.com/index.shtml

Paradise Research Publications, Inc.

P.O. Box 837

Kihei, HI 96753-0837

URL: http://www.dickb.com/index.shtml

Email: dickb@dickb.com

Printed in the United States of America

This Paradise Research Publications Edition is published by arrangement with Good Book

Publishing Company, PO Box 837, Kihei, HI 96753-0837

The publication of this volume does not imply affiliation nor approval nor endorsement from Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

ISBN: 1-885803-37-0

Contents

Part 1: The Theme and Purpose of the Conference............................................................................ 1

Part 2: Alcoholics Anonymous, the Founders, and Belief in Almighty God.......................................... 4

Part 3: The Spiritual Beginnings of A.A............................................................................................ 16

Part 4: The Real Program of Early A.A........................................................................................... 23

Part 5A: Introduction: The Materials from the Bible That Dr. Bob Considered“Absolutely Essential”.. 27

Part 5B: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).......................................................................... 30

Part 5C: The Book of James............................................................................................................ 40

Part 5D: 1 Corinthians 13................................................................................................................ 51

Part 6: Rev. Sam Shoemaker, an A.A. “Co-Founder” and Spiritual Source...................................... 55

Part 7: What the Creator Did and Can Do for Our Fellowship......................................................... 61

Bibliography

Part 1

The Theme and Purpose of the Conference

• Each person attending, and each person speaking, might see a different theme, a

different purpose, and a different agenda for this conference. But we can start with what it is:

The First Nationwide Alcoholics Anonymous History Conference

We’ve had lots of conventions, conferences, roundups, bashes, forums, flings, assemblies, archivist panels, and plenty of meetings, meetings, meetings. Of course, at St. Louis, many years back, we had a convention - historical in nature - and fashioned by Bill Wilson to show that A.A. had come of age. But for the most part, we have been focused on sharing experience, strength, and hope; telling stories; and adopting resolutions. As a result, until about 1990, most of us knew little if anything about the spiritual roots, history, and principles of this society.

• First, therefore, this is a history conference - an event that will highlight our

real roots.

• Also, this history conference has a theme and title. It is:

God, Alcoholism, and Alcoholics Anonymous

We will be exploring each in relation to the other - from the standpoint of our own great history.

• The backdrop might be the following statement of M. Scott Peck in his best-selling Further Along the Road Less Traveled, in which that famous physician said this:

I believe the greatest positive event of the twentieth century occurred in Akron, Ohio. . . when Bill W. and Dr. Bob convened the first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. It was not only the beginning of the self-help movement and the beginning of the integration of science and spirituality at a grass-roots level, but also the beginning of the community movement. . . . which is going to be the salvation not only of alcoholics and addicts but of us all.

• The real question here, however, is whether - almost seventy years after the founding of our society - we can say that we have developed a program of complete recovery (Let’s get bold and say, as Bill W., Dr. Bob, and Bill D. said it, a “cure”) for those afflicted with alcoholism.

The answer will depend on several factors: What is alcoholism? What is the meaning of “recovery” and “cure?” What were the ingredients of our original program? Was it dependent upon God? What God are we talking about? What answers were given by our founders and pioneers? What was the real success rate? How important is that history? Can we apply the answers to the cure of alcoholism in today’s A.A.

• It sums up this way: have we really got something to share with others today? If so, what is it that we can share? And let’s start with what our own literature told us several decades ago:

When Bill left Akron in late August 1935, there were four members–possibly five counting Phil, who might have been in the process of drying out. From that fall to spring, Bill helped Hank P. and Fitz M., among others, get sober in New York. He made a short visit to Akron in April, 1936, writing Lois that he had spent the weekend and was “so happy about everything there. Bob and Anne and Henrietta Seiberling have been working so hard with those men and with really wonderful success. There were very joyous get-togethers at Bob’s, Henrietta’s, and the Williams’s by turns.” In September 1936, there was another visit, with Bill’s arrival “a signal for a house party, which was very touching,” he wrote. “Anne and Bob and Henrietta have done a great job. There were several new faces since spring.” In February 1937, another count was taken, and there were seven additional members in Akron, for a total of 12. Half of these had or would have some sort of slip, and at least one would never be really successful in the A.A. program thereafter. For most, however, the slip was a convincer. There were dozens of others who were exposed to the program up to February 1937. Some were successful for a time, then drifted away. Some came back. Others died. Some, like “Lil,” may have found another way [DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers. NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1980, pp. 108-09]. Word of Akron’s “not-drinking-liquor club” had already spread to nearby towns, such as Kent and Canton, and it was probably early 1937 when a few prospects started drifting down from Cleveland. In the beginning, it was in twos and threes (By 1939, there were two carloads) [DR. BOB, supra, p. 122]

In November of that year [1937], Bill Wilson went on a business trip that enabled

him to make a stopover in Akron. . . . Bill’s writings record the day he sat in the

living room with Doc, counting the noses of our recoveries. “A hard core of very grim, last-gasp cases had by then been sober a couple of years, an unheard of development,” he said. “There were twenty or more such people. All told, we figured that upwards of 40 alcoholics were staying bone dry.” As we carefully rechecked this score, Bill said, it suddenly burst upon us that a new light was

shining into the dark world of the alcoholic. . . a “chain reaction” had started, and “Conceivably it could one day circle the whole world. . . . We actually wept for joy,” Bill said, “and Bob and Anne and I bowed our heads in silent thanks” [DR. BOB, supra, p 123].

“A beacon had been lighted. God had shown alcoholics how it might be passed from hand to hand. Never shall I forget that great and humbling hour of realization, shared with Dr. Bob,” said Bill [RHS, p. 8].

• The successes were confirmed by the careful investigation of Frank Amos and reported to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1938. It was that glowing report of Dr. Bob and Akron’s Group Number One that had caught Mr. Rockefeller’s interest and had further encouraged the formation of the Alcoholic Foundation. And Frank Amos has left us with a detailed description of the program as it stood before the writing of the Big Book began. Bill began writing the Big Book in 1938. According to his secretary, Nell Wing, there were slightly more than 70 alcoholics that had achieved sobriety. There never were the “100 men and women” that Bill mentioned when the Big Book was published in the Spring of 1939. Of those who were sober, fifty percent had maintained continuous sobriety; twenty-five percent had achieved sobriety after relapse; and the remainder “showed improvement.” By the early 1940's, records in Cleveland showed that 93 percent of those who came to A.A. never had a drink again [DR. BOB, supra, p. 261].

• With that beginning, we’ll respectfully turn you loose on the questions we

have posed and hope you enjoy such answers as we are able to provide.

• On the archive, tape, and literature tables are materials you may want to purchase.

I will gladly inscribe my own books that are on sale. They are offered at half price for this conference. And you may simply leave cash or a check in the receptacle or see me for a form to use if you want to use your credit card or order other books.

Part 2

Alcoholics Anonymous, the Founders, and Belief in Almighty God

Without Apparent Exception, A.A.’s Founders Believed the Creator Cured Them

There is no need here to go to the documentation in my titles God and Alcoholism: Our Growing Opportunity in the 21^st Century and Cured: Proven Help for Alcoholics and Addicts. Suffice it to say that Bill Wilson said the Lord had cured him of his “terrible disease.” Dr. Bob spoke of Wilson’s being cured and then told his colleagues that he and another [Wilson] had discovered a cure for alcoholism. A.A. Number Three, Bill Dotson, declared that Wilson’s statement that the Lord had cured him had become for him [Dotson] the golden text of A.A. Pioneer Clarence Snyder spoke many times of the cures early AAs had received. The person who drafted one of the proposed covers for the First Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous (published in 1939) put on the cover that it offered a cure for alcoholism. Extensive remarks of this kind were made by Larry Jewell (who was sponsored by Dr. Bob and Clarence Snyder). Jewell made them in a series of articles he wrote for The Houston Press in 1940. And the words of these old times were echoed by others contemporaneously. The Reverend Dr. Dilworth Lupton, pastor of the First Unitarian Church in Cleveland, wrote of the new cure in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1939. Morris Markey spoke of the “miraculous” “cure” for habitual drunkards in his Liberty Magazine article in 1939. Theodore English wrote in Scribner’s Commentator in January of 1941 that Wilson had developed a cure that had enlisted half the alcoholics encountered by the Houston AA group and cured two-thirds of them. Dr. William Duncan Silkworth (who wrote the “Doctor’s Opinion” for Alcoholics Anonymous) told one of his alcoholic patients (Charles K.) that the only hope for his cure was through the “Great Physician,” Jesus Christ. See Norman Vincent Peale, The Positive Power of Jesus Christ (NY: Guideposts, 1980), pp. 59-63. Finally, the AA Grapevine published an article by the famous medical writer Paul de Kruif stating the “A.A.’s medicine is God and God alone. This is their discovery. . . [and] that the patients it cures have to nearly die before they can bring themselves to take it.”

Yet by 1980–forty-five years after A.A.’s founding–an AA “Conference Approved” publication stated quite bluntly that, in effect, these sources were mistaken, misleading, and wrong [DR. BOB, supra, p. 136].. Despite this about-face by official A.A. employees, the only bases for such a claim that the founders had misrepresented to, and mislead the facts to the world were two ideas Bill Wilson had inserted in his Big Book four years after A.A.’s founding. And these ideas have persisted through all four editions of A.A.’s basic text. These new ideas were: (1) “We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: ‘Once an alcoholic always an alcoholic’.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4^th ed., p. 33). (2) “We are not cured of alcoholism” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4^th ed., p. 85). The first statement, according to Wilson’s own explicit admission, came from a contemporary therapist named Richard R. Peabody, who died drunk, and therefore “proved,” said Wilson, that alcoholism was “uncurable.” The second statement flew in the face of all the evidence we cited above, which demonstrates that alcoholics had been cured, that they had been cured by God, and that the cures were miraculous, astonishing, and the basis for the whole “spiritual program of recovery” that AAs developed between 1935 and 1938. Details and documentation for each of these points can be found in Dick B., Cured: Proven Help for Alcoholics and Addicts (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2003); Richard R. Peabody, The Common Sense of Drinking (Atlantic Monthly Press Book, 1933); and Katherine McCarthy, The Emanuel Movement and Richard Peabody (Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol. 45, No. 1, 1984).

A Large Dose of Pre-AA miraculous healings by the power of God:

Many have minimized or outright dismissed the miraculous. They have done so in various ways, depending upon the era involved.

For example, Old Testament signs and wonders are often relegated to the myth bin by calling them interpretative, artistic, imaginative, embellished, “touched up,”filled with discrepancies, or the products of tradition rather than experience. See Bernard W. Anderson, Understanding The Old Testament (NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1957), pp. 43-44, 180-82, 227, 385, 407-09. Other authorities, however, plainly state that signs, wonders, and miracles of Old Testament accounts had as their object the indication of the severity of an illness and the gravity of the prognosis against which to contrast the greatness of the cure and the divine power that effected it. These authorities–and they are numerous generally attribute the healings and miracles to the intervention of God. See New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1982), pp. 457-65.

The healing accounts of the Gospels have also been denied for a variety of reasons. Philip Schaff wrote: “The credibility of the Gospels would never have been denied if it were not for the philosophical and dogmatic skepticism which desires to get rid of the supernatural and miraculous at any price.” See Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume I, 3^rd Revision (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1890), p. 589. Decades later, writers popular in the early A.A. days, were still disputing the miraculous. See Emmet Fox, The Sermon on the Mount (New York: Harper & Row, 1934) and Dilworth Lupton, Religion Says You Can (Boston: The Beacon Press, 1938). Long before these johnnie-come-latelies of the 1930's, however, scholars were citing emphatically: “great writers who were by no means biased in favor of orthodoxy [including] Dr. W.E. Channing, leader of American Unitarianism, who said: ‘I know of no histories to be compared with the Gospels in marks of truth, in pregnancy of meaning, in quickening power. . . As to his [Christ’s] biographers, they speak for themselves. Never were more simple and honest ones.” Schaff, History of the Christian Church, supra, p. 589.

So, also, despite volumes of testimony to the contrary, writers and various “historians” have disputed the miracles and healings by the Apostles as recorded in the Book of Acts. They have alleged that the “age of miracles” in the First Century passed out of the picture, sometimes allegedly because they were merely a stage which God no longer needed, or that they were myth and error. See Adolf Harnack, The Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries, Vol I (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1998), pp. 121, 143, 180, 256-57, 268. The disputers have also placed in their disputed box, categorized, minimized, ridiculed, and often rejected endless numbers of Christian healers and healings from Mary Baker Eddy to Lourdes to Benny Hinn and Oral Roberts. But, for the founders of A.A., the proof was in the pudding; and Dr. Bob read extensively about healing by the power of God. In fact, even a brief glance at the Christian healing literature of the 1930's–in A.A.’s founding years–will disclose a myriad of scholarly studies of God’s healing power and healings in the physical, psychological, mental, devil spirit, and other realms. We have included many of these in our bibliography.

• What the Bible has to say about:

Miraculous healings long before Christ: Morton T. Kelsey comments: “As we have

already seen, in the Old Testament there was no question, in theory, that Yahweh could heal. In several places remarkable instances were recorded. See Morton T. Kelsey, Psychology, Medicine & Christian Healing. Rev. and exp. ed. (San Francisco: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1966), p. 33. Specific examples include children given to women who were barren (Genesis 18:10, 14; Judges 13:5, 24; 1 Samuel 1:19-20; 2 Kings 4:16-17); the healing of Miriam’s leprosy (Numbers 12:1-15) and Naaman’s leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14); healing of Jeroboam’s paralyzed hand (1 Kings 13:1-6); raising from the dead by Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24) and by Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-37); salvation of the Israelites from the later plagues in Egypt (Numbers 21:6-9); and the miracles wrought by Moses (Exodus 7-17). See New Bible Dictionary, supra, pp. 462, 782-83; Kelsey, Psychology, Medicine & Christian Healing, supra, pp. 33-36; In Healing: Pagan And Christian (London: Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1935), George Gordon Dawson opines: “The standpoint of the Old Testament, generally, is that good health results from holy living. It is a divine gift and the reward of loving service. Any cure of disease was regarded as a gift from Yahweh, and resulted from forgiveness. The sick person made his peace with Him by repentance, intercession and sacrifice. The right spiritual relationship was restored. The soul was at rest, and the inner life being calm the bodily symptoms disappeared” (p. 90). Alan Richardson writes: . . . in the Old Testament the historically decisive event, which became for the Hebrew mind, the symbol and type of all God’s comings in history is the Miracle of the Red Sea. See Alan Richardson, The Miracle Stories of the Gospels (London: SCM Press Ltd, 1941), pp. 3-4.

Miracles in the Gospels: “they brought unto Him all that were sick and them that were

possessed with demons, and He healed many that were sick with diverse diseases, and cast out many demons. . . He had healed many in so much that as many as had plagues pressed upon Him that they might touch Him.” See Elwood Worcester, Samuel McComb, Isador H. Coriat, Religion and Medicine (NY: Moffat, Yard & Company, 1908), p. 345; Elwood Worcester and Samuel McComb, The Christian Religion As A Healing Power (NY: Moffat, Yard & Company, 1909), pp. 84-97; G. R. H. Shafto, The Wonders of The Kingdom: A Study of the Miracles of Jesus (NY: George H. Doran Company, 1924), pp. 8-9. Shafto calculated that there are some forty-two of the foregoing indirect references to miraculous action on the part of Jesus in the four Gospels. Kelsey concluded: “. . . we find that everywhere Jesus went he functioned as a religious healer. Forty-one distinct instances of physical and mental healing are recorded in the four gospels (there are seventy-two accounts in all, including duplications), but this by no means represents the total. Many of these references summarize the healings of large numbers of people.” See Kelsey, Psychology, Medicine & Christian Healing, supra, pp. 42-47. Alan Richardson points out the high proportion of the Gospel tradition that is devoted to the subject of miracle (209 verses out of 666 in the Gospel of Mark). See Richardson, The Miracle Stories, supra, p. 36. There are over 20 specific accounts - some healed at a distance, some with a word, and some with physical contact and means: blindness, deafness; dumbness, leprosy, epilepsy, dropsy, uterine hemorrhage, Peter’s mother-in-law and her fever–possibly malaria, Malcus’ severed ear; the man with withered hand, the woman bent double with a “spirit of infirmity,” three separate people resurrected from the dead; the man paralyzed for 38 years, demoniacal possession, and so on. Percy Dearmer reports there are forty-one instances of Christ’s works of healing in the Gospels (Body and Soul, below, p. 142-46). Also the miracles of water converted to wine, stilling of a storm, supernatural catch of fish, multiplying food, walking on water, money from a fish, a fig tree dried up. See New Bible Dictionary, supra, pp. 462-63; Leslie D. Weatherhead, Psychology, Religion and Healing (NY: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1951), pp. 29-69; Worcester, McComb, Coriat, Religion and Medicine, supra, pp. 338-68; Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: historical evidences for the Christian faith (Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc., 1973), pp. 128-31. Luke 7:21-22 state: “And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” For a survey of the evidence, see E. R. Micklem, Miracles & The New Psychology: A Study in the Healing Miracles of the New Testament. London: Oxford University Press, 1922.

Miracles in the Book of Acts in Apostolic times: “many wonders and signs were done

by the apostles. . .by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. . . . Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs. . . [as to Philip in Samaria] many with unclean spirits and many that were palsied and lame. . . [as to Paul and Barnabus] speaking of the signs and wonders God had wrought among the gentiles by them. . . [as to healing activities of Paul on the island of Malta] The rest also who had diseases in the island came and were cured” See Weatherhead, Psychology, Religion and Healing, supra, pp. 70-72; Kelsey, Psychology, Medicine And Christian Healing, supra, pp. 83-102.. More specifically, the lame man at the Gate Beautiful, patients cured by the shadow of Peter and handkerchiefs which had touched them; restoration of the sight of Saul by Ananias; Peter’s healing Aenes of palsy; the paralytic healed by Paul at Lystra; the healing of Publius’s father of fever and dysentery by Paul; Dorcas and Eutychus were raised from the dead; multiple healings; and two occasions where demons were cast out. See New Bible Dictionary, supra, pp. 462-64. Harnack summed up with this quotation from Hebrews 2:3-4: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation: which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” See Harnack, The Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries, Vol. I, supra, pp. 250-73. There is a list of the specific miracles in the Acts of the Apostles. See Pearcy Dearmer, Body and Soul: An Enquiry into the Effects of Religion upon Health, with a Description of Christian Works of Healing From the New Testament to the Present Day. London: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., 1909, pp. 183-91.

• What Early Christians accomplished:

Miracles after apostolic times and in early centuries: There is evidence of Christian

healing from these sources: Quadratus of Athens (AD 126 or 127); St. Justin Martyr (the philosopher martyred circa 163, AD 100-163); St. Irenaeus (Bishop of Lyons, A.D. 120-202); Origen of Alexandria (AD 185-253), Tertullian (AD 193-211), St. Hilarion (monk, AD 291-371); St. Parthenius (Bishop of Lampsacus, AD circa 335-355); St. Macarius of Alexandria and four other Monks (AD 375-390); St. Martin (Bishop of Tours, AD circa 395- 397); St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 340-397), St. Chrysostom (AD 347-407), St. Augustine (AD 354-430), St. Jerome (AD 340-420); St. Symeon Stylites (layman, AD 391-460); St. Eugendus, Abbot of a monastery near Geneva, AD 455-517); St. Caesarius (Bishop of Arles, 502-542); St. German (Bishop of Paris, circa AD 555-576); St. Laumer priest near Chartres, AD 548-651); St. Eustace (Abbot of Luxeuil, circa 614-625); St. Riemirus (abbot of a monastery in the diocese of Le Mans, circa 660-699); Sophronius (Patriarch of Jerusalem, AD 640); St. Cuthbert (Bishop of Lindisfarne, AD 635-687), and St. John of Beverley (by Bede AD 721). See Leslie D. Weatherhead, Psychology, Religion, and Healing, supra, pp. 76-84; Worcester, McComb and Coriat, Religion and Medicine, supra. p. 367; Worcester and McComb, The Christian Religion as a Healing Power, supra, p.95. In a monumental treatise based largely on the Book of James as it relates to healing and anointing, F. W. Puller says: “I think I have shown that from the time of the Apostles onwards, during the first seven centuries of our era, the custom of praying over sick people and anointing them with holy oil continued without any break. And there seems to me to be good reasons for believing that in many cases the petitions that were offered were granted and that the holy oil was used by God as a channel for conveying health to the sick persons.” See F. W. Puller, The Anointing of the Sick in Scripture and Tradition, with some Considerations on the Numbering of the Sacraments (London: Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1904), p. 188; Pearcy Dearmer, Body and Soul, supra. Kelsey points to the important study by Evelyn Frost. which covers the earliest records of the church after the New Testament, from about the years 100 to 250 [Evelyn Frost, Christian Healing: A Consideration of the Place of Spiritual Healing in the Church of To-day in the Light of the Doctrine and Practice of the Ante-Nicene Church (1940)]; and Kelsey says of the Frost study: “It shows clearly that the practices of healing described in the New Testament continued without interruption for the next two centuries.” Kelsey, Psychology, Medicine And Christian Healing, supra, pp. 103-156.

Healing ministry by individuals from 1091 forward to the late 1800's: There is

testimony of individual healers, who, with no psychological technique, but through their communion with Christ by His power, healed the sick: St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153); St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226); St. Thomas of Hereford (1282-1303); St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), Martin Luther (1483-1546), St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), St. Philip Neri (1515-1595); George Fox (1624-1691); John Wesley (1703-1791); Prince Alexander of Hohenlohe (1794-1849); Father Theobald Matthew (of Ireland, 1790-1856), Dorothea Trudel (from Zurich, 1813-1862); Pastor John Christopher Blumhardt (Lutheran pastor from Stuttgart,1805-1880); and Father John of Cronstadt (of the Orthodox Church of the East, 1829-1908). See Weatherhead, supra, p. 86; Worcester and McComb, Religion and Medicine, supra, p. 367; Dearmer, Body and Soul, supra, p. 278, 338-82. Kelsey, Psychology, Medicine And Christian Healing, supra, pp. 157-188.

The Hypothesis that the First Century ended miracles even though there is no

Biblical authority for this proposition–a contention contrary to the promises of the Creator: There has come into the healing picture the widely believed, but undocumented, claim that the “age of miracles” ended because God no longer had use for them. First of all, the Creator’s abilities did not cease; nor did the power that He made available through the accomplishments of Jesus Christ end. That power and the gifts of healing may actually have been little used or undeclared because of church wrangling, but the Bible assurances did not change. Despite an increasing separation between medical healing and religious healing during the first years of the nineteenth century, “Pentecostal Christianity” and the work of many individuals brought Biblical assurances to the practical fore. The individuals included Glenn Clark, Mary Baker Eddy, A. J. Gordon, Pearcy Dearmer, Agnes Sanford, Starr Daily, John and Ethel Banks, Oral Roberts, Ruth Carter Stapleton, and a number in the Roman Catholic Community. See Kelsey, Psychology, Medicine and Christian Religion, supra, pp. 186-284.

Yahweh’s promises in His Word have not changed: See Exodus 15:26: “I am the Lord that healeth thee;” Psalm 103:3-4: Yahweh our God forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, and redeems our lives from destruction;” Matthew 10:8: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give;” Mark 16:19-30: “And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover;” John 14:12: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” These and many other Bible assurances were the daily diet of many early AAs and particularly Dr. Bob as he frequently used The Runner’s Bible devotional. See the verses and comments in Nora Smith Holm, The Runner’s Bible: Spiritual Guidance for People On The Run (Lakewood, CO: I-Level Acropolis Books, Publisher, 1998), pp. 171-96. Also, J. R. Pridie, The Church’s Ministry of Healing (London: Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1926); C. S. Lewis, Miracles: How God Intervenes in Nature and Human Affairs (NY: Collier Books, 1947); Friedrich Heiler, Prayer: A Study in the History of Psychology and Religion (Oxford: Oneworld, 1932); Jim Wilson, Healing Through The Power of Christ (Cambridge, England: James Clarke & Co., Ltd., 1946); Dawson, Healing: Pagan and Christian, 1935, supra; Philip Inman, Christ in the Modern Hospital (London: Hodder & Stoughton Limited, 1937); G. R. H. Shafto, The Wonders of the Kingdom, 1924, supra.

• The Successes of the Christian Missions and Evangelism:

A. Rescue Missions: Religious “conversion” was the catch-word for such endeavors, but

this kind of language masked the importance of the Creator, the place of Jesus Christ, and the use of the Bible, prayer, and healing. It is quite fair to say that the latter–the Creator, Jesus Christ, Bible, prayer, and healing rather than “conversion”–marked the mission and program of the missions. See the excellent survey in: Howard Clinebell, Understanding and Counseling Persons with Alcohol, Drug, and Behavioral Addictions. Rev. and Enl. Ed. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1968, pp. 167-194. The following were the three major mission landmarks:

(1) Jerry McCauley’s Water Street Mission was founded in October, 1872 - the outcropping of his own deliverance from alcoholism; and it helped thousands. Meetings were simple. There were no sermons. They opened with singing, a Bible reading, and a message from Jerry. This was followed by testimonies where drunkards spoke of their fall and rebirth. Often, Jerry laid hands on the penitent and encouraged him to pray out loud for himself.

(2) Next came the Gospel Missions - still in existence today with a new name, but better remembered as the International Union of Gospel Missions. In April, 1882, Samuel Hadley overcame his alcoholism with a religious experience and passed the Gospel mission torch to his son, and these events marked the beginning of that approach.

(3) Hadley’s son later was in charge of Calvary Rescue Mission with Shoemaker being an underlying recovery force when Sam became rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in New York in 1925. It was at the Calvary Rescue Mission that Ebby Thacher, Bill Wilson, and thousands of others overcame their alcoholism. The meetings involved hymns, Bible reading, prayers, testimonies, and decisions for Christ. The cry was “I’ve got religion.” (William L. White. Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. Bloomington, IL: Chestnut Health Systems/Lighthouse Institute, 1998, pp. 71-74). Reverend Shoemaker uttered a simple description of Calvary’s Mission on November 25, 1932. He said it was “where God reclaims men who choose to be reborn.” See Dick B. Turning Point: A History of Early A.A.’s Spiritual Roots and Successes. Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1997, p. 96.

B. The Salvation Army: It was founded in 1865 out of the pastoral work of a Methodist

Minister William Booth. It was first called the Christian Revival Association and rechristened the Salvation Army in 1878. Its vision was that Christian salvation and moral education in a wholesome environment would save the body and soul of the alcoholic. There were so many cures that the Salvation Army served alcoholics for more than a century and was called “the largest and most successful rehabilitation program for transient alcoholic men in the United States.” Its most striking testimonials were those in Harold Begbie’s Twice Born Men - about rescue in the slums of London. This was a book widely read by A.A. pioneers and recommended by Dr. Bob’s wife Anne. Unfortunately, the Army gave way to professionalization, but its people continued to wrangle over the disease concept. Finally they adopted these two statements about 1940:

“The Salvation Army believes that every individual who is addicted to alcohol may find

deliverance from its bondage through submission of the total personality to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Salvation Army also recognizes the value of medical, social and psychiatric treatment for alcoholics and makes extensive use of these services at its centers.” (White, Slaying the Dragon, supra, p. 78).

C. The Keswick Colony of Mercy in Whiting, New Jersey. Founded in 1897 by

William Raws who overcame alcoholism through religious salvation. Up to 39 men at a time reside there, undergoing Bible study, prayer, and counseling. They make a “pastoral covenant” to continued religious education and are expected to seek continued support through religious recovery groups such as Alcoholics Victorious. More than 17,000 alcoholic men have sought help there since its founding in 1897. (White, Slaying the Dragon, supra, pp. 75-76).

• The Revival of Christian Healing through the person and power of Jesus Christ

See Heal the Sick by James Moore Hickson (London: Methuen & Co., 1924).

Hickson’s book and extensive healing work were detailed in this as one of the many healing books studied by Dr. Bob. It reports thousands of healings world-wide..

See Healing in Jesus Name by Ethel R. Willitts (Crawfordsville, Indiana: Ethel R.

Willitts, Publisher, 1931). This review of Biblical healings and the personal healings by the author was studied by Dr. Bob.

See Psychology and Life by Leslie D. Weatherhead (New York: AbingdonPress,1935).

Also, Leslie D. Weatherhead, Religion, Psychology and Healing, supra. Though Weatherhead’s materials are heavy with writing on psychological, spiritualism, and psychic methods, Dr. Weatherhead was Minister of the City Temple in London and wrote exhaustively on the place of healing in the modern church. Highlighting the merits of Christian Science, he nonetheless rejects it, as he does the importance of healings at Lourdes. He then mentions the work of The Guild of Health, started in 1905 to arouse the Church of England and others to a fresh recognition of the place of health of mind and body in the Christian message. Next comes his discussion of The Guild of St. Raphael, formed in 1915, to push the Anglican Church and unite within the Catholic Church those who hold the faith that “Our Lord wills to work in and through His Church for the health of her members in spirit, mind, and body. Holy Unction, The Laying on of Hands, and intercessory prayer are utilized. Next, the Emmanuel Movement in America and the role of Worcester, Mc Comb, and Coriat. Next, Milton Abbey, opened in 1937 with Rev. John Maillard, an Anglican Clergyman as first warden–Maillard’s book, Healing in the Name of Jesus, having just been published. Weatherhead next discusses The Divine Healing Mission, closely linked with the work of James Moore Hickson. He mentions The Friend’s Spiritual Healing Fellowship (Quaker), The Methodist Society for Medical and Pastoral Practice, founded in 1946, The Churches’ Council of Healing started in 1944 under the impetus of Archbishop Temple. Independently of the foregoing discussion of missions and individuals, Weatherhead analyzes the practice of intercession and The Laying on of Hands. And see the discussion of Weatherhead’s materials in Dick B. Dr. Bob and His Library 3^rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998), pp 78-79. There are many studies of the importance of the charismata, liturgies, anointing, sacraments, “unction,” “incubation,” shrines, demonology, exorcism, and the laying on of hands as part of Christian healing and Christian history. See Reverend F. W. Puller, Anointing of the Sick: In Scripture and Tradition, With Some Considerations on the Numbering of the Sacraments, supra; Dearmer, Body and Soul, supra, pp. 287 et. seq.; Evelyn Frost, Christian Healing: A Consideration of the Place of Spiritual Healing in the Church of To-day in the Light of The Doctrine and Practice of the Ante-Nicene Church, London: A. R. Mobray & Co. Limited, 1940; William Temple, Christus Veritas An Essay (London: Macmillan & Co Ltd, 1954); Dawson, Healing: Pagan and Christian, supra; Pridie, The Church’s Ministry of Healing, supra

And see the many other titles on healing and prayer that were studied and

circulated by Dr. Bob among A.A. Pioneers and their families. See Dick B. Dr. Bob and His Library, supra, pp. 35-40, 83-85. In the early A.A. of Akron, there was circulation and study of a large number of prayer and healing books including those by Glenn Clark, Starr Daily, Lewis L. Dunnington, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles and Cora Filmore, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Emmet Fox, Gerald Heard, E. Stanley Jones, Frank Laubach, Charles Laymon, Rufus Mosely, William Parker, F. L. Rawson, Samuel M. Shoemaker, B. H. Streeter, L. W. Grensted, Howard Rose, Cecil Rose, St. Augustine, Brother Lawrence, Mary Tileston, Oswald Chambers, T. R. Glover, E. Herman, Donald Carruthers, and Nora Smith Holm with her Runner’s Bible. See Dick B., The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth, 7^th ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998). As our bibliography at the close of this books shows, and also as the foregoing citations as to healings make clear, the period of Dr. Bob’s study of prayer and healing was one of widespread scholarly discourse on this very same subject. It does not seem surprising, therefore, that Dr. Bob observed prayer time at least three times a day; that he studied and quoted Scripture with great frequency; and that he was asked to and did in fact pray for others. As he himself expressed as to his beliefs: “Your Heavenly Father will never let you down!”

• Successes of Oxford Group people in overcoming alcoholism prior to A.A.

In their zeal to cut down the Oxford Group, many have ignored the well-documented

victories over alcoholism through the power of God by well-known Oxford Group writers and leaders–most contemporaries of friends of Bill Wilson’s. These include Rowland Hazard, F. Shepard Cornell, Victor C. Kitchen, Ebby Thacher, James Houck, Charles Clapp, Jr., William Griffith Wilson, and even Russell Firestone for a time. Both Dr. Frank N. D. Buchman (founder of the Oxford Group) and Rev. Samuel Shoemaker (its most prolific writer) helped sober up many drunks through the power of God. Their classic phrase was: Sin is the problem. Jesus Christ is the cure. The result is a miracle. See Dick B. Cured!, supra, pp. 18, 30-31.

The Present Tendency of Writers to Ignore our Real Spiritual Healing Roots and to Bloat up the Supposed Importance of a Few, Unimportant, Unsuccessful, Little-known Predecessors at the turn of the Last Century

The Washingtonians. You can find more hoopla and writing among professionals, historians, and even AAs about the “Washingtonians” than you can about Dr. Bob, Anne Smith, Henrietta Seiberling, T. Henry Williams, and Rev. Sam Shoemaker–A.A.’s real founders. You can find more hoopla and writing by these same people about this same subject than you can about the Bible, Quiet Time, the Pioneers’ devotionals, Sam Shoemaker’s writings, other Christian literature, and Anne Smith’s Journal–the major contributors to A.A. ideas. In a word or two, you need to recognize that the Washingtonians are a flash in the plan when it comes to their relevance to A.A. They were formed in 1840. They were deader than a door nail in 1847. They did not offer the Bible, Quiet Time, the Creator, Jesus Christ, Christian literature, salvation, or religious principles that were the heart of A.A.’s spiritual program. So we will ignore them in this paper!

The Emmanuel Clinic and the Lay Therapy Movement. This was founded by two ministers and a physician in 1906. Its greatest problem is that it was a “psychological” approach to recovery. Worcester and Mc Comb said: “We do not plead for a return to the mere accidents of the early Christian age. . . . Great as is the power of the subconscious,, greater still, we believe, are the powers of reason, emotion, and will. Hence, one of the principal remedies for the nervous maladies of which we are speaking is psychic, moral, and religious re-education. . . . [we] say, ‘God does it in and through the forces of nature.’ The therapeutic procedures of the Emmanuel Movement are those which are used among all scientific workers, such as suggestion, psychic analysis, re-education, work, and rest” See Worcester and Mc Comb, The Christian Religion as a Healing Power, supra, pp. 96, 103, 118. Such talk probably burdened today’s recovery community with many godless ideas about group therapy, individual counseling, self-help support, spirituality, hypnosis, relaxation, and “inspirational” reading. Its popular later book was The Common Sense of Drinking by Richard R. Peabody. And Peabody himself reportedly died intoxicated. It may well have fostered the “no cure” doctrine - once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. And it can hardly said to be based on the power of God. So we will ignore this too.

What Dr. Carl Jung seems to have introduced into Bill Wilson’s recovery thinking

Rowland Hazard’s spiritual experience, better known as a religious conversion: According to Bill Wilson’s early writings I found in Stepping Stones, at Bedford Hills, New York, A.A. really began when Rowland Hazard, once again drunk and despairing, returned to Dr. Carl Jung in Switzerland asking what he could do to whip his alcoholism. Jung replied: “Occasionally, Rowland, alcoholics have recovered through spiritual experiences, better known as religious conversions. . . . I’m talking about the kind of religious experience that reaches into the depths of a man, that changes his whole motivation and outlook and so transforms his life that the impossible becomes possible”

(W. G. Wilson, Reflections, p. 111). Jung told Wilson many years later: “His [Rowland’s] craving for alcohol was the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness, expressed in medieval language: the union with God. . . . The only right and legitimate way to such an experience is, that it happens to you in reality and it can only happen when you walk on a path which leads to higher understanding” (Dick B., Turning Point, supra, p. 84).

The unconvincing and unsupported claim that Rowland Hazard never visited with, or was told by Dr. Carl Jung that such a conversion was required for cure. Two writers have recently implied that the whole Rowland Hazard story and solution is a hoax (See White, Slaying the Dragon, supra, p. 128). Their so-called “investigations” were scanty and lacking in comprehension and depth as they supposedly looked through Rowland’s papers at the Rhode Island Historical Society and Jung’s records and found no account of the doctor-patient event. To make this allegation stick, however, they would further have to prove that Rowland Hazard, Ebby Thacher, Bill Wilson, Rev. Sam Shoemaker, and Dr. Carl Jung were each and all outspoken liars. And, having “investigated” many of Rowland’s records myself, and having been a trial attorney for many years with lots of experience in digging up evidence, and finding no reason to impeach the testimony of the foregoing accounts by Hazard, Thacher, Wilson, Shoemaker, and Jung, I believe the assertions of White and Wally P., the writers, who appear responsible for them, are totally wrong.

The peculiar and unique meaning of Jung’s “conversion,” “religious,” and “spiritual” experience language. I have personally have little doubt that Dr. Jung told Rowland Hazard that he (Jung) had been unsuccessful in treating, and could not cure Rowland. But what the Bible, theologians, and Christian evangelists mean by the prescribed “religious conversion” is probably not at all a conversion of the type to which Jung referred. First of all, Jung was a physician, not a cleric or theologian. Second, the Bible idea of conversion has to do with rebirth, of being born again of the spirit with the incorruptible seed of Christ, of confessing Jesus as Lord and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead (See John 3:1-17, 14:6; Acts 2:32-40, 4:10-12; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:12-14; Colossians 1:27; 1 Peter 1:18-23). Third, Dr. Leslie Weatherhead analyzed Jung’s ideas as follows: “Jung seeks to lift the patient to a higher plane of living. What he calls “individualization” is an experience close to spiritual conversion. A true conception of both cannot regard either as final. Spiritual conversion is an experience which marks the end of man’s search for the right road, but not the end of his spiritual journey. Individuation, in Jung’s sense, is the wise setting of the house of one’s personality in order, but it is a task at which one is wise to work for the rest of one’s life” (Weatherhead, Psychology, Religion and Healing, supra, p. 287). Jung himself said: “Religious experience is absolute. It is indisputable. You can only say that you never had such an experience, and your opponent will say : “Sorry, I have.” And there your discussion will come to an end. No matter what the world thinks about religious experience, the one who has it possesses the great treasure of a thing that has provided him with a source of life, meaning and beauty and that has given a new splendor to the world and to mankind. He has pistis [believing or faith] and peace. Where is the criterium by which you could say that such a life is not legitimate, that such experience is not valid and that such pistis is a mere illusion? . . . But what is the difference between a real illusion and a healing religious experience? It is merely a difference in words (Jung, Psychology and Religion, pp. 113-114).

Jung’s prescription for, and definition of “religious” or “conversion” experience did not square with the Good Book. In three sentences, we can say: Jung’s definitions may be accurate from a psychologist’s view point. In fact, they represent the often quoted definitions of Professor William James. But they are not speaking of being born from above with the incorruptible seed of Christ. At Calvary Rescue Mission where Bill Wilson said he had been born again; and in Akron, where the A.A. pioneers accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, the folks were not quoting either Carl Jung or William James. They were quoting the Good Book. So was Rev. Sam Shoemaker. And so was Dr. Frank Buchman. Hence, by turning back to William James and Carl Jung, Bill Wilson was led down the merry by-way to “spiritual” experience and “spiritual awakening”–both terms of Oxford Group manufacture–and later to just “personality change” sufficient to overcome alcoholism. None of these has anything to do with what Jesus said was necessary in John 3:1-8 or with the conversation the Apostle Paul had with Jesus Christ on the Road to Damascus.

The Cures AA Pioneers Received Were Not Psychotherapeutic“Personality Changes.” They Were Miracles. They were miracles produced by reliance on Yahweh, the Creator. And Both Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith Were Very Clear in Attributing the Early A.A. Miracles to Their Heavenly Father, the Creator

Again, for the documentation, see Dick B. Cured! Proven Help for Alcoholics and Addicts (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2003).

Now to the job of putting together the actual historical pieces of our pioneer A.A. program which relied for deliverance on the power of the Yahweh, the Creator–their God and mine.

Part 3

The Spiritual Beginnings of A.A.

The Historical Need

Bill Wilson often said: A.A. was not invented. He added: Each of A.A.’s spiritual principles was borrowed from ancient sources. Regrettably, Bill provided very very few specifics as to the actual sources of the spiritual principles, or just how they reached the A.A. fellowship.

Today, we can supply specific details. They have been gathered over a period of thirteen years from archives, interviews, historians, and the study of much literature. Those who did the A.A. borrowing and fashioning were A.A.’s founders, Bill W. and Dr. Bob. But one historical fact has been commonly lacking in discussions of the contributions of these two men. The Bill W. sources, spiritual infusions, and beliefs were totally different from those that came from Dr. Bob. Bill was a self‑proclaimed "conservative atheist," had never belonged to a church, and had never studied the Bible until after he met Dr. Bob in Akron. Dr. Bob, on the other hand, had been a long‑time Christian believer, church member, and Bible student since his youth. Regrettably, almost every A.A. historical account fails to take account of, earmark, and incorporate these differences and their A.A. impact. I sincerely hope you will leave this discussion with the impression that there were not two A.A. founding factions fighting with each other; nor were there two founders disagreeing with each other. There were simply two distinctly different program origins.

Two Distinctly Different Spiritual Roots

One A.A. root might properly be called the "Carl Jung/Sam Shoemaker Source." It led to the "New York Genesis of A.A." Its ingredients are well‑known and legendary, though inaccurately reported. Unfortunately, the incorrect aspects of the legend have become doctrinal. A.A.’s other root could properly be called the "Bible/Dr. Bob Source." It led to the "Akron Genesis of A.A.." Unfortunately, the facts about this root have been virtually buried. until our work began thirteen years ago.

The New York Genesis and its Dr. Carl Jung/Rev. Sam Shoemaker Source

We will dwell little on A.A.’s New York beginnings because they have so often been recorded, albeit mis‑reported and distorted. To repeat: Bill Wilson, a Brooklyn resident, was a self‑proclaimed "conservative atheist." He was never a church member, and had never "looked in the Bible at all" until he came to Akron in 1935.

The actual Bill Wilson picture as to A.A.’s “New York Genesis” and spiritual beginnings is as follows.

An East Coast businessman named Rowland Hazard sought help for his alcoholism from Dr. Carl Jung in Switzerland. After his Jung treatment which was followed by relapse, Rowland was told by Jung that he had the mind of a chronic alcoholic and would need a conversion experience to overcome his compulsion. Jung defined such conversions as "union with God." He suggested Rowland seek a religious association.

Rowland therefore joined "A First Century Christian Fellowship" also known as the Oxford Group. Rowland followed its precepts; recovered from alcoholism; helped rescue a New Yorker named Ebby Thacher from alcoholism; taught Ebby the Oxford Group ideas; and later also spent substantial time with Bill Wilson inculcating Wilson with Oxford Group precepts. Ebby Thacher visited and convinced his suffering friend Bill Wilson that he (Ebby) had "got religion," that "God had done for him what he could not do for himself," and that he had been to Rev. Sam Shoemaker’s Calvary Rescue Mission in New York.

A drunken Bill Wilson then went to Shoemaker’s Rescue Mission, made a decision for Christ, believed he had really found something, and checked into Towns Hospital in New York. There Bill heard some key Oxford Group principles during Ebby’s visits to Bill at the hospital. Bill also then had what he often called his "hot flash" conversion experience. On release from Towns Hospital, Bill was totally unsuccessful: (1) In “converting” anyone to his Oxford Group ideas. (2) In getting one single drunk sober that Bill brought to the Wilson home for help. (3) For quite some time, in getting anyone sober in the New York area.

But Bill certainly assimilated some major Oxford Group life‑changing principles–seemingly from the beginning of his sobriety in late 1934. These included the Five C’s, the Four Absolutes, Surrender, Restitution, Guidance, Loyalty, Fellowship, and Witnessing. In all, these principles amounted to some twenty-eight Oxford Group ideas that were used to change lives and that impacted on Bill’s idea that a “spiritual” or “conversion” experience could result from their practice. See Dick B. The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous: A Design for Living That Works, 2d ed (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, 1998). He endeavored to carry to drunks his version of that recovery message. Not one recovered. Not during Bill’s first six months of sobriety, nor for several years as to those he and Lois took into their home. In May, 1935, Bill carried his version to Dr. Bob in Akron, Ohio, where an entirely different chain of events had been in progress. See Dick B., The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, 2d ed (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, 1998).

The Akron Genesis and its Bible/Dr. Bob Source

A.A.’s Akron Genesis began with Dr. Bob, his church activities as a youngster, and his excellent Bible and religious training in the North Congregational Church at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where he and his parents worshipped. Also in Bob’s participation in the Christian Endeavor work in those days. See Dick B., Dr. Bob and His Library, 3^rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998).

Dr. Bob was born and raised in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. His parents were pillars of the North Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury. From childhood through high school, Bob each week attended that Congregational church, its Sunday School, evening service, Monday night Christian Endeavor meetings, and sometimes its Wednesday evening prayer meeting. These actions were likely at the insistence of his mother. Yet, Bob continued membership in Christian churches most of his life: St. Johnsbury Congregational in his youth. Possibly St. Luke’s Protestant Episcopal Church. Probably the Church of Our Saviour in Akron, where his kids attended Sunday School. Then Akron’s Westminster Presbyterian Church where Dr. Bob and his wife Anne Smith were charter members from June 3, 1936 to April 3, 1942. Finally, a year before his death, Dr. Bob became a communicant at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron. This Episcopal Church was the so-called “Firestone” church of which Dr. Walter Tunks was rector and had so much to do with A.A.’s Akron beginnings.

Dr. Bob specifically told AAs he had nothing to do with writing the Twelve Steps. Nor did he have much to do with the writing of A.A.’s basic text, the "Big Book," other than to review manuscripts as Bill Wilson passed them to Bob for approval prior to publication in the Spring of 1939. But Dr. Bob did make some very clear statements about the Bible and A.A. And it was from and in Akron where A.A.’s basic biblical ideas were discussed, honed, tried, and then later put into terse and tangible form at Bill Wilson’s hands in A.A.’s “Big Book” and Twelve Steps.

Dr. Bob said A.A.’s basic ideas came from the Bible. Both Dr. Bob and Bill often stated that Jesus’s sermon on the mount contained the underlying spiritual philosophy of A.A. Bob often read Bible passages in the sermon (which is found in Matthew Chapters Five, Six, and Seven). Bob specifically pointed out that the A.A. slogans "First Things First" and "Easy Does It" were taken respectively from Matthew 6:33 and 6:34. Furthermore, when someone asked Dr. Bob a question about the A.A. program, his usual response was: "What does it say in the Good Book?" He declared that A.A. pioneers were "convinced that the answer to their problems was in the Good Book." He added: "To some of us older ones, the parts we found absolutely essential were the Sermon on the Mount, the 13th chapter of First Corinthians, and the Book of James." In fact, James was so popular with the pioneers that, according to Bill Wilson, many favored calling the A.A. fellowship "The James Club."

The Biblical emphasis in A.A.’s “Akron Group No. One” involved much much more. The pioneer meetings opened with Christian prayer. As mentioned, they were "old fashioned prayer meetings." Bible devotionals such as The Upper Room, My Utmost for His Highest, and The Runner’s Bible were regular fare. Also in individual Quiet Times, and Quiet Times with Anne Smith each morning at the Smith home. Quiet Time itself had distinct Biblical roots. See Dick B., Good Morning!: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation, and Early A.A., 2d ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998). Scripture was regularly read at all meetings. Scripture, both from devotionals and from actual reading of the Good Book, was often the fountainhead for topics discussed at pioneer meetings. Bible study itself was stressed. Dr. Bob called every meeting of early A.A. a "Christian Fellowship;" and early A.A. was in fact an integral part of "A First Century Christian Fellowship." Also, as will be detailed later, every single Twelve Step idea can be traced to specific Bible verses and segments. Furthermore, "Surrenders" were required in early Akron A.A. These meant accepting on one’s knees Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Older members then prayed with newcomers in the manner specified in James 5:16. See Dick B., The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.’s Roots in the Bible, 2d ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1997); The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous, supra; DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, supra; That Amazing Grace: The Role of Clarence and Grace S. in Alcoholics Anonymous (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1986).

And how did all these Christian and Bible-oriented principles and practices wind up in A.A.? Certainly not from, nor properly described as through, Bill Wilson. They were the daily grist of the Akron experimental work to deliver drunks. Program ideas with which Dr. Bob had been familiar since his Vermont days.

That introduces a final point. One that really marks the beginning of the Akron Genesis. Its details were only recently unearthed in the author’s research. It has to do with Christian Endeavor, the Christian church movement for youth to which Dr. Bob belonged as a youngster. And that movement, its practices, and principles can be seen as having great impact on many of the basic and unique aspects of Akron A.A.. These aspects differed from the Oxford Group approaches and principles with which Bill Wilson had been indoctrinated on the East Coast. They did not involve the Four Absolutes, nor the 5 C’s, nor Restitution, nor Guidance as such, nor the Surrenders, nor the house-parties, nor the teams, and other distinctly Oxford Group ideas with which Bob and Bill were both familiar from their respective Oxford Group connections.

Akron A.A.’s prayer meetings, Bible study, devotional literature, religious discussions, confession of Christ, emphasis on church affiliation, and Christian outreach were a distinct characteristic of the Akron program. They were not emphasized in New York. They showed the influence that Christian Endeavor on Dr. Bob. See Dick B., The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth, 7^th ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, 1998, pp. 13-17); Cured!: Proven Help for Alcoholics and Addicts (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2003); Dr. Bob and His Library, 3^rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998); Amos R. Wells, Expert Endeavor: A Text-bok of Christian Endeavor Methods and Principles (Boston: United Society of Christian Endeavor, 1911); Francis E. Clark. Christian Endeavor in All Lands. (N.p.: The United Society of Christian Endeavor, 1906); Memoirs of Many Men in Many Lands: An Autobiography (Boston: United Society of Christian Endeavor, 1922); James DeForest Murch, Successful C.E. Prayer-Meetings (Cincinnati: The Standard Publishing Company, 1930)..

Christian Endeavor was a movement formed in Williston Congregational Church in Portland, Maine on February 2, 1881. It was designed to meet the need of the church for training young Christians. Activities included the weekly young people’s prayer meeting. Each member promised to attend and take some part. A Bible verse or a sentence of prayer answered the individual’s obligation of "taking some part aside from singing." In addition to prayer meetings, there were social gatherings, missionary committees, music and floral committees, and committees to visit the sick and poor and welcome strangers. The organization endeavored to be self‑governing and self‑propagating. It spread to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Then to numerous U.S. churches, to Hawaii, China, and many parts of the world. In a few years, nearly 25,000 young people journeyed across the United States to attend a convention in San Francisco.

Rev. Francis E. Clark, Founder of the Christian Endeavor Movement, said the roots of the Christian Endeavor tree were: (1) Confession of Christ. (2) Service for Christ. (3) Fellowship with Christ’s people. (4) And Loyalty to Christ’s Church. As to the Confession of Christ, Clark said: "Confession of Christ is absolutely necessary in the Christian Endeavor Society. . . . Every week comes the prayer meeting in which every member who fulfills his vow must take some part. . . . The true Christian Endeavorer. . . .does take part to show that he is a Christian, to confess his love for the Lord. . . . The covenant pledge. . . secures familiarity with the Word of God by promoting Bible‑reading and study in preparation for every meeting.

Rev. F. B. Meyer, who later was to have a substantial influence on the Oxford Group and on early A.A. ideas and was president of the British Christian Endeavor Union, said Christian Endeavor stood for five great principles: (1) Personal devotion to the divine Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. (2) The covenant obligation embodied in our pledge. (3) Constant religious training for all kinds of service. (4) Strenuous loyalty to the local church and denomination with which each society is connected. (5) Interdenominational spiritual fellowship.

The C.E. founder, Rev. Francis Clark, summarized the C.E. covenant as follows: "Trusting in the Lord Jesus for strength, I promise him that I will strive to do whatever He would like to have me do; that I will pray and read the Bible every day; and that, just so far as I know how, I will endeavor to lead a Christian life. I will be present at every meeting of the society, unless prevented by some reason which I can conscientiously give to my Saviour, and will take part in the meeting, either by prayer, testimony, or a Bible verse. As an active member of this society, I promise to be faithful to my own church, and to do all I can to uphold its works and membership."

Amos R. Wells, Editorial Secretary of the United Society of Christian Endeavor, asked: (1) What are the results we may gain from the prayer meeting? They are five: original thought on religious subjects; open committal to the cause of Christ; the helpful expression of Christian thought and experience; the cultivation of the spirit of worship through public prayer and singing; the guidance of others along these lines of service and life. (2) How can we get original thought on the prayer‑meeting topics? Only by study of the Bible, followed by meditation. First, the Endeavorer should read the Bible passage; then he should read some good commentary upon it; then he should take the subject with him into his daily life. (3) Are we to read Bible verses and other quotations? Yes, all we please, if we will make them the original expression of our own lives by thinking about them, and adding to them something, if only a sentence, to show that we have made them our own.

If you read A.A.’s DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, as well as my own titles on early A.A., you will see unique Christian Endeavor parallels and practices in what was called the Akron "Program." In fact, if you read the personal stories of the pioneers in the First Edition of A.A.’s Big Book, you will see the practices in action. To be sure, the Akron pioneers often called themselves the alcoholic squad of the Oxford Group (DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, supra, p. 117). They also called themselves a “Christian fellowship” (DR. BOB, supra, p. 118) as well as the “Alcoholic Group of Akron, Ohio” (DR. BOB, supra, p. 128). But their unique meeting structure was not like that of most Oxford Group meetings or "house parties." In fact, they were also called a “clandestine” or secret lodge of that Group (DR. BOB, supra, p. 121). Moreover, the Akron practices were not familiar to eastern Oxford Grouper Bill Wilson when he came to Akron. This, in part, because Akron meetings resembled Christian Endeavor meetings in a number of ways: As stated, the Akron A.A. meetings were called "old fashioned prayer meetings" and "Christian Fellowships." Group study of the Bible, meditation. reading of Bible literature, and discussion of topics from the Bible as they impacted on the member’s life all contained ingredients different from those at Sam Shoemaker’s Calvary House. So too Akron’s mandatory surrender to Jesus Christ, self‑support and self‑propagation credo, emphasis on alignment with some church, fellowship with like‑minded believers, service, and witness.

These Akron elements caused it to be described as first century Christianity such as that found in the Book of Acts (DR. BOB, supra, pp.129-31, 135-36); and these elements were the heart of Akron A.A.

Most assuredly, common spillovers from Oxford Group life‑changing techniques were present in both New York and Akron A.A. beginnings. But the Akron Genesis was unquestionably biblical.

Melding the Roots was solely a Bill Wilson Project

In the midst of substantial controversy, Bill Wilson obtained a split vote in Akron that authorized him to write a basic text describing the practices and program pioneer AAs had taken to achieve their astonishing successes, which were said to be seventy‑five percent.

In fashioning the basic text, Bill took some simple medical facts about alcoholism and the alcoholic that he had learned from his own physician Dr. William D. Silkworth. Also, he added substantial practical treatment ideas, probably from Richard R. Peabody’s book, The Common Sense of Drinking (Atlantic Monthly Press Book, 1933). He mentioned neither the Bible nor Jesus Christ in connection with the program, but he adopted much from the Akron surrenders. From the Oxford Group, Wilson codified in A.A. the Oxford Group life‑changing techniques. To this mix, he added (using Oxford Group terms like spiritual experience and later spiritual awakening) his own “religious” experience, calling them all the process of finding or rediscovering of God. See Alcoholics Anonymous, 1^st ed., 1939. Unfortunately, Bill left to others, if anyone, the unearthing of source details. The digging–certainly mine–goes on to this day. See: Dick B., Dr. Bob and His Library; Good Morning: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation and Early A.A.; The Good Book and The Big Book; The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous; New Light on Alcoholism; Turning Point; The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous; and Bill Pittman and Dick B.,Courage to Change The Christian Roots of the Twelve‑Step Movement.

Dick B.’s web site on early A.A. history is: http://www.dickb.com/index.shtml

Part 4

The Real Program of Early A.A.

We want to cover three features of the actual program before we hear from Smitty (Dr. Bob’s son) about living with his Dad: (1) A brief overview of exactly what the pioneers did as they fashioned their program in Akron between June 10, 1935 and the publication of the Big Book in the Spring of 1939. (2) A summary by Frank Amos of the results of his thorough investigation of the Akron successes, his report to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and what that actual program was. (3) A synopsis of the six basic Biblical sources of that program.

An Overview of What They Did in Akron

Hospitalization for about seven days: Only a Bible in the room, medications, daily visits and lengthy talks by Dr. Bob, visits by recovered pioneers, belief in God, surrender to Christ, and prayer. Then release.

Recovery in the homes: (1) Daily get-togethers, (2) Bible study and reading, (3) Individual quiet times, (4) Quiet Times in the morning with Anne Smith, discussions with Bob and Henrietta and Anne, (5) the regular Wednesday meeting, with “real” surrenders upstairs (James 5:15-16: Elders and prayer), acceptance of Jesus Christ, asking God to take alcohol out of their lives, and asking Him to help them abide by the Four Absolutes. (6) Some individual Oxford Group elements such as Inventory, Confession, Conviction, and Restitution. (7) Visiting newcomers at the hospital. (8) Church attendance by most. (9) Social and family fellowship.

Regular Wednesday Meetings: Prayer, Scripture, Group Prayer and Guidance, Discussion, Surrender, appeal for helping newcomers, Lord’s Prayer, socializing, and exchange of literature. No drunkalogs. No steps. No Big Book. Just Bible and devotionals like the Upper Room

Quiet Time (with Anne, with Group, or individual): Based on having accepted Jesus Christ; Bible reading; prayer and seeking guidance; use of devotionals; use of Anne Smith’s Journal; reading of Christian literature.

If you read the statements of Bill and Bob together at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1943. There were some 4500 present. Bill spoke about Divine Aid, the religious element, and prayer. Dr. Bob spoke about cultivating the habit of prayer and reading the Bible. Both men were warmly received.

The Frank Amos Reports in 1938

“All considered practically incurable by physicians.” They had “been reformed and so far have remained teetotalers.” Stories were remarkably alike in “the technique used and the system followed.” Mr. Amos described their seven-point “Program” as follows:

[Abstinence] An alcoholic must realize that he is an alcoholic, incurable from a medical viewpoint, and that he must never again drink anything with alcohol in it.

[Absolute reliance on the Creator] He must surrender himself absolutely to God, realizing that in himself there is no hope.

[Removal of sins from his life] Not only must he want to stop drinking permanently, he must remove from his life other sins such as hatred, adultery, and others which frequently accompany alcoholism. Unless he will do this absolutely, Smith and his associates refuse to work with him.

[Daily Quiet Time with Bible study and prayer] He must have devotions every morning–a “quiet time” of prayer and some reading from the Bible and other religious literature. Unless this is faithfully followed, there is grave danger of backsliding.

[Helping other alcoholics] He must be willing to help other alcoholics get straightened out. This throws up a protective barrier and strengthens his own willpower and convictions.

[Fellowship] It is important, but not vital, that he meet frequently with other reformed alcoholics and form both a social and a religious comradeship.

[Religious affiliation] Important, but not vital, that he attend some religious service at least once weekly.

See Dick B. God and Alcoholism: Our Growing Opportunity in the 21^st Century (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2002); DR. BOB, supra, p. 131.

The Major Spiritual Roots of the Program

Dr. Bob said quite plainly that A.A.’s basic ideas came from the Bible. Bill said the Steps came primarily from the Oxford Group principles as taught by Reverend Sam. Shoemaker of New York. The Oxford Group said plainly that its principles were the principles of the Bible. Both Dr. Bob and Bill said that Jesus’s sermon on the mount (Matthew 5, 6, 7) contained the underlying A.A. philosophy. The six major spiritual roots of Alcoholics Anonymous are Biblical in origin and form.

The Bible. See Dick B., The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.’s Roots in the Bible. Over and over the Bible was stressed as the basic source of our ideas: The focus of reading was the Sermon on the Mount, 1 Corinthians 13, and the Book of James. See the detailed review of these three segments in Dick B., Why Early A.A. Succeeded (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2001). In addition, plenty was taught about the Ten Commandments, Jesus’s Two Great Commandments, the need for a new birth by receiving from above God’s spirit in Christ, prayer, healing, repentance, guidance, forgiveness, and so on.

Quiet Time. The born-again newcomer was to grow in knowledge, principles, and practices from the Bible. He was to study the Bible. He was to cultivate the habit of prayer. He was to seek guidance from Yahweh, the Creator. He was advised to read religious books and use daily devotionals. This was done individually, with Dr. Bob’s wife, Anne, and at meetings. See Dick B., Good Morning!, supra; Anne Smith’s Journal, 1933-1939, supra.

Anne Smith’s Journal. The most-forgotten and ignored source of A.A. ideas. Anne says it all. She was “it” as far as recording the real early A.A. program ideas in detail. She wrote them down in organized fashion in 64 pages from 1933 to 1939. And she shared abundantly from that journal with AAs and their families. See Dick B., Anne Smith’s Journal, 1933-1939, supra.

The teachings of Reverend Sam Shoemaker. Bill attributed practically all the Steps and ideas to Sam and called him a co-founder of A.A. Bill even asked Sam to write the Twelve Steps. Sam reviewed Bill’s first Big Book manuscripts before they were published. And Sam’s words, language, and ideas can be found in the Steps and in the Big Book. See Dick B., New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A., 2d ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1999).

The life-changing program of the Oxford Group. No matter how hard he tried to distance himself and AA from the Oxford Group, the simple fact is that Bill’s whole program is Oxford Group in character, principles, and practices. Bill worked closely with Sam Shoemaker. While Dr. Bob really had little to do with Shoemaker, he and Anne, Henrietta, and the Williams couple were thorough readers of Oxford Group literature and were thoroughly conversant with its ideas. See Dick B., The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous, supra; By the Power of God, supra..

The books early AAs read for spiritual growth. The pioneers in Akron were readers. They were spurred on by Dr. Bob, Anne, and Henrietta. They read the Bible. The read the devotionals - The Runner’s Bible, The Upper Room, My Utmost for His Highest. They read commentaries like As a Man Thinketh, The Greatest Thing in the World, Fox’s The Sermon on the Mount, and books by the great religious leaders and writers - Glenn Clark, E. Stanley Jones, Oswald Chambers, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Norman Vincent Peale, Henry Drummond, and many many others. They read the Shoemaker books and the Oxford Group books, of which there were more than 500 in all. You could see references in the Cleveland Central Bulletin, in the AA Grapevine, and in the Akron AA pamphlets. See Dick B., The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth, 7^th ed., supra; Dr. Bob and His Library, 3^rd ed., supra; and Making Known the Biblical Roots of Early A.A.., supra.

Part 5A

Introduction

The Materials from the Bible That Dr. Bob Considered

“Absolutely Essential”

[Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), the Book of James, 1 Corinthians 13]

“Dr. Bob, another founder of A.A., also addressed the Shrine assembly [along with Bill W.] As he was introduced, the audience rose to its feet in tribute. The fame of Dr. Bob is great in A.A. In soft, confident and unhurried words he too [along with Bill W.] reiterated the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. . . He particularly recommended reading the Bible” (The Tidings, Friday, March 26, 1943, p. 47).

Many of the Bible’s Books, Parts, and Verses

Need Specific Mention Also!

A.A.’s Bible roots are as numerous and varied as the A.A. sources that used them. If you start with the Bible devotionals in wide use by A.A.’s old-timers, you’ll see lots of mention of all the Bible verses, chapters, and books we’ll discuss in the various parts of this presentation. Key among the devotionals were The Upper Room, The Runner ‘s Bible, Daily Strength for Daily Needs, and My Utmost For His Highest. These books and pamphlets covered many verses and segments of the Bible other than the Sermon on the Mount, the Book of James, and 1 Corinthians 13. Many of these other verses and segments were studied by, and important to, A.A.’s pioneers. You can find them mentioned almost anywhere you start.

If you start with the books Dr. Bob’s wife Anne recommended and shared from her journal with early AAs and their families, you will find Anne recommending the Book of Acts, Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and other specific sections. She also recommended Fosdick’s book on The Meaning of Prayer, which is filled with Bible references pertaining to prayer. She recommended several books on the life of Jesus Christ which also are filled with Bible references. She recommended life-changing books by Sam Shoemaker and others. These titles spell out appropriate Bible sources for the very spiritual ideas Rev. Shoemaker was teaching early AAs. So too with the Glenn Clark books and E. Stanley Jones books.

If you start with some of the books Dr. Bob recommended, you’ll be looking at The Greatest Thing in the World by Drummond, which discusses 1 Corinthians 13. You’ll look at several commentaries about Matthew chapters 5-7 (the sermon on the mount delivered by Jesus). These include books by Oswald Chambers, Glenn Clark, E. Stanley Jones, Emmet Fox, Robert E. Speer, Emmet Fox, and others. Most of those authors discuss almost every single verse in the sermon. Though there is no commentary on the Book of James, The Runner’s Bible (which Dr. Bob widely recommended) discusses many parts of James--the book Anne frequently read to Bob and Bill at the Smith home in the summer of 1935. The many books by Rev. Sam Shoemaker, Oxford Group writers, new thought writers, and others such as Toyohiko Kagawa and Glenn Clark all became rich sources for the simple ideas AAs extracted from the Good Book and incorporated into their spiritual program of recovery. That program, of course, involved intensive work with newcomers, prayer, Bible study, and daily fellowship with like-minded believers.

The Special Role of the Books of

Matthew, James, and 1 Corinthians

The focus here will be on the three portions of the Bible which Dr. Bob said he and the early A.A. pioneers considered “absolutely essential.” Pointing directly to the roles of the three segments are the following pioneer comments about Matthew chapters 5-7, the Book of James, and 1 Corinthians 13:

When we started in on Bill D. [who was A.A. Number Three], we had no Twelve Steps [said Dr. Bob]. But we were convinced that the answer to our problems was in the Good Book. To some of us older ones, the parts that we found absolutely essential were the Sermon on the Mount, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and the Book of James (The Co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical sketches Their last major talks,1972, 1975, pp. 9-10).

[Dr. Bob said, in Youngstown, Ohio:] Members of Alcoholics Anonymous begin the day with a prayer for strength and a short period of