The Good Book and the Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible - Softcover

B., Dick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1885803168 ISBN 13: 9781885803160

Publisher: Paradise Research Publications INC, 1997

Synopsis

The very first, and the most popular, study of A.A.'s roots in the Bible. A.A. cofounder Dr. Bob stated in his last major talk in Detroit, Michigan, in December 1948 that the basic ideas of A.A.'s 12 Steps came from Bill W. and Dr. Bob's study of the Bible [The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical Sketches: Their Last Major Talks (Item # P-53), 14]. So too that the Book of James, Jesus's "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5-7), and 1 Corinthians 13 were absolutely essential to the early program. Dr. Bob also said that he and Bill W. were convinced that the answer to their problems was in the Good Book (as he called the Bible) [The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (Item # P-53), 13]. The Good Book and the Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible by Dick B. explores every observable source and appearance of Bible ideas in the Big Book which Bill W. began writing about three years after A.A. was founded in Akron in June 1935. It has become a regular shelf item among those who believe in God, understand the importance of the Bible, diligently seek to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ in the march to sobriety and a life of love of service thereafter. The book is a page-turner for those who, like the author at first, had never realized the specific sources of A.A. in the Bible, and the specific Bible language in A.A.'s basic text, talks, and literature of the early days.

About this title

From the Publisher

Details of A.A. ideas borrowed from the Bible
This unique title is probably the only historical statement of precisely which ideas early AAs took from the Bible (wh ich they called The Good Book). These ideas were incorporated into their basic text (Alcoholics Anonymous), in the Twelve Steps of recovery which are contained in the basic text, and in many of the slogans and language of the A.A. fellowship itself. Dick B. has spent seven years of research locating the precise details. He has traveled widely, interviewed pioneers and their survivors, read the early literature, and visited archives. He is himself an active, recovered member of Alcoholics Anonymous, a retired attorney, and a Bible student. He has sponsored over seventy men in their recovery. Many have speculated on A.A.'s biblical similarities, but this title gives you the facts.

From the Author

A title meeting specific needs for historical accuracy
As I prepared to attend my first international A.A. Convention in Seattle in 1990, I was determined to find out A.A.'s roots in the Bible. I had previously been told that A.A.'s founder Dr. Bob had said the basic ideas came from the Bible. And I had read DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, an A.A. Conference Approved Book. To be sure, there was strong evidence that A.A.'s ideas were grounded on the philosophy in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. Both founders (Bill and Dr. Bob) had said so. Also, both had acknowledged the three prime sources of A.A. ideas: the Book of James, 1 Corinthians 13, and Matthew 5 to 7 (the Sermon and the Lord's Prayer). But, alas, the details had been obliterated, and apparently by specific elimination, piece by piece. Therefore, it became necessary to analyze A.A. literature, A.A. archives, and materials in possession of such A.A. sources as Anne Smith's Journal, Sam Shoemaker's teachings, the Oxford Group, and early meditation books and Christian literature in order to find precisely which ideas the pioneers studied. Then it was necessary to locate those ideas in A.A. literature. And finally, it was vital not to guess or speculate, but rather to document the ideas. Moreover, I have found these ideas on God, prayer, healing, Christian principles,the power of God, deliverance, forgiveness, and love to be vital for sustained recovery in A.A. This particular title, therefore, focuses on the Bible and A.A. If you want specifics rather than interpretations and guesses, I believe you will find this book most useful. It can help Christians in A.A., those in A.A. who want to know their history, th ose who want to understand A.A. ideas and why the success rate was so high in early A.A. Clergy, churches, sponsors, counselors, and scholars can benefit from this specific study.

Edition details

• Publisher: Paradise Research Publications INC
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1885803168
• ISBN 13: 9781885803160
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 264