Customer Reviews

God Is For The Alcoholic

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The principles outlined in this book which helped Jerry Dunn to escape the hold of alcohol on his life are applicable to ANY dependence or additiction a person may have. The book reads well and holds your attention. You see, I have known Jerry personally for the past 20 years. I was fortunate enough to marry into his family and have had the pleasure of knowing that he did not merely "write" a book about what one should do, he lived it out in his own life. What a testimony! Thank you Jerry Dunn!

Being that I am a recovering alcoholic and essentially having a new-found Christian faith, I felt I had to have this book. Author Jerry Dunn takes you through the steps of various theories of what makes up an alcoholic and the progression of this disease. Seeking God is an essential process in recovering from alcoholism and it is explained in this book. This book should be essential for the alcoholic and the affected family. Alcoholism does not just affect the person, but affects everyone who is connected to them. Jerry explains how he, while in prison, picked up the Bible and thus began his long and hard road to recovery by explaining his path. The outcome is his sobriety and this book. A great read that I have picked up, highlighted, re-read several times over. God Is For The Alcoholic

I have the 1967 edition of the book. It gives a more Christian approach than AA's Big Book, although AA's approach is based on Christian principles and it is a spiritual program. The 3 main sections are entitled:

I. Understanding Alcoholism
II. Five Ways to Help the Alcoholic
III. Five Ways the Alcoholic can Help Himself

It will be of help to the Alcoholic in the mire of Alcoholism and those trying to help them. Those using AA's twelve step program may find it useful if they want a more Christian view. For those in the pit of alcoholism, I suggest his carer gets him down to an AA meeting when he shows signs of wanting help (usually at the end of a bender). Or if you are reading this you get yourself to an AA meeting where you will find people who have been through what you have been through, but are now sober and enjoying life, and they will not judge you. God has not given up on you.

The suggested reading section includes the following AA literature: AA Grapevine, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

A.A. Author and Historian Dick B. first ran into this book many years ago when he was just beginning his research into the Biblical history of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dick had taken one of his books into a Christian bookstore, and the clergyman in charge handed him a copy of Jerry Dunn's book. Dick was not yet into the "sin" issues about alcoholism and early A.A. So he set the book aside. A number of years later, he shared the platform with Jerry Dunn at the First International Conference of Alcoholics Victorious in New Jersey. Jerry was along in years, but very powerful in his drunkalog and "testimony" as he called it. Impressed with Jerry, Dick was nonetheless still was focused on history more than on the applicability of our rich A.A. Christian roots to recovery today. However, Dick B. has now published 30 titles on A.A. history. And the last few have been heavily weighted in favor of examining the utility of our history in and outside of A.A. and Twelve Step Fellowships today. Recently, he was asked to conduct a four day seminar at a CityTeam Conference in Santa Cruz, California; and in preparation, he dusted off two of his "practitioner" books and dived into materials on Dr. William D. Silkworth and Jerry Dunn. He realized that both men had a strong belief in Jesus Christ. Both men had written some very practical materials on how to approach an alcoholic and what to tell the alcoholic he should do to get well. Previously, he had realized that Jerry's book was shot-through with practical views based on his years in the Word and in his own recovery and in his work helping other drunks. Today, the book has taken on a new and greater dimension for Dick and for me. I now deem this "God is For the Alcoholic" title and Jerry's work, along with that of Dr. Silkworth, to be very very valuable in overcoming the godless trend in recovery fellowships and treatment programs today. And I conclude by recommending Dunn's book highly and by pointing out that Dick B. has discussed at some length the views of Silkworth and Dunn, in terms of their applicability today. You'll find some of this in several of his recent titles. But the best and most detailed coverage is in one of his latest titles, Dick B. "Real Twelve Step Fellowship History: The Old School A.A. You May Not Know." (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 2006), pp. 108-114. You'll gain a great appreciation for the Jerry Dunn book when you learn how practical and spiritual its contents are to this very day.

This book contains some great references to scripture but was clearly written from a male perspective that is not favorable to women. There are other really good Christian books on alcoholism that might be more helpful and encouraging.