The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality (Why It Worked-- A.A. History Series) [Paperback]

Dick B. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2000

Each year for a decade, A.A. writer and historian Dick B. has given a seminar at Bill Wilson's birthplace (called The Wilson House) on the history of early A.A.'s spiritual roots and successes. This particular title points up the declaration by A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson and by A.A. Number Three Bill Dotson that the Lord had cured each of what he termed this terrible disease, and that each just wanted to keep telling others about it. Dotson called this phraseology The Golden Text of A.A. And A.A. published that golden text at page 191 of its basic text Alcoholics Anonymous (See Big Book, page 191). I'd estimate that not one in five hundred AAs has ever seen or discussed or understood this golden text. Most are told just to read the first 164 pages of the Big Book. And the words Lord and Cured have been cast out of the first 164 pages of explanation, despite the fact that the founders and their third newcomer all credited God with their cure. The title explains why this declaration that God is responsible for the cures is so important to recovery today in a fellowship whose any god thesis is producing smaller and smaller success rates as compared to early A.A.'s 75 to 93% successes when they placed their reliance on Yahweh the Creator and insisted on acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Way

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

If you want to know how the pioneer AAs spoke about God, then this is the book for you. If you want to know how this has moved from God to "higher power" to "it" or to "nothing at all," in today's writings by scholars, historians, A.A.'s publishing arm, and by some AAs themselves, then this is the book for you. It will inspire you to a greater understanding of early A.A. "spirituality" which simply meant reliance for help on our Creator, God Almighty, Yahweh.

About the Author

The title for this Golden Text book was suggested to the author by Ozzie Lepper, Manager of the Wilson House, in preparation for one of the author's annual Heritage seminars at this location of Bill Wilson's birth. Dick seized on the title, gave the seminar on that golden text, and published this book to preserve the content and ideas of the seminar. Dick B. is a writer, historian, Bible student, retired attorney, and active, recovered member of Alcoholics Anonymous. He has sponsored over 100 men in their recovery from alcoholism. The author is the leading scholar and historian on early A.A.'s spiritual roots, history, and successes. He has published 32 titles and over 180 articles on the subject. He is widely sought as a speaker at conferences, seminars, panels, and retreats for AAs and their families. The book has become much in demand as 12-step people have begun looking and studying beyond the text of their main book Alcoholics Anonymous.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 83 pages
• Publisher: Paradise Research Publications, Inc.; 1st edition (November 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188580329X
• ISBN-13: 978-1885803290
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,227,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm an active, recovered member of Alcoholics Anonymous. I use the pen name Dick B. to conform to A.A. Traditions. I am also a writer, an historian, a Christian, a Bible student, a certified CDAAC, a retired attorney, and A.A. with over 25 years of continuous sobriety. As of October, 2011, I had, for more than 21 years, been researching the roots of early A.A. in the Bible, United Christian Endeavor, the Salvation Army, the Rescue Missions, the Young Men's Christian Association, the evangelists of the 1800's, the life-changing program of the Oxford Group, the teachings of Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Quiet Time, the teachings of Anne Ripley Smith (Dr. Bob's wife), and the roles of William James, Carl Jung, Richard Peabody, New Thought writers, William D. Silkworth, Christian literature and devotionals of the day. And published 42 titles and over 675 articles on all aspects of A.A.'s spiritual history, biblical roots, and astonishing successes in the 1930's and very early 1940's. And why? Because many in the 12 Step Fellowships tire of hearing about a 'higher power' that can be a tree, a radiator, a lightbulb, the group, or Gertrude. And they tire of seeing Biblical expressions in A.A.'s basic text and early literature and yet hearing today's literature stating that A.A. is 'spiritual, but not religious' when outsiders and the courts readily see its religious character and many therefore believe they should be able to learn A.A. Christian roots. And they tire of the fatalism that abounds in recovery writings and talk today. So I decided to find out where A.A. came from, and then pass on to the 100 plus men I have sponsored, the truth about A.A.'s roots. Currently and still today, one history after another appears in print and purports to talk about A.A.'s beginnings. Yet there is little or no mention of the Bible, of God, of Jesus Christ, of Divine healing, of redemptive forgiveness, or of deliverance from the power of darkness. Nonetheless, these unmentioned or little mentioned Christian elements were relied upon by early AAs for their astonishing recoveries. The fact is that they declared they were cured by the power of God and had a documented 75 to 93% success rate among seemingly hopeless, medically incurable, alcoholics who gave the program their best shot. So each of my 42 published titles and innumerable articles cover some aspect, and often more than one, of A.A.'s seven major Biblical and basic roots: (1) The Bible. (2) Quiet Time and the daily devotionals. (3) The teachings of Rev. Sam Shoemaker, Jr. (4) The life-changing program of the Oxford Group. (5) The details in the spiritual journal kept by Anne Ripley Smith (co-founder DR. Bob's wife) and shared with the pioneers and their families, but unmentioned today. (6) The extensive Christian literature ranging from St. Augustine to Brother Lawrence to Henry Drummond to John Mott to Harry Emerson Fosdick to Glenn Clark to Oswald Chambers, and a host of others. (7) One of the most recent finds has been the roots of Akron A.A. in the United Christian Endeavor Society. If one wants to understand the role, power, and love of God our Creator in A.A. today, that person will not accomplish much in the meetings, nor even in the "something" or "somebody" definitions that are pumped out today as a "power" to seek. Nonetheless, they can find accurate facts in my thoroughly researched and documented work of the past 21 years. For A.A. history abounds with truths from the Bible: how to come to God through His son Jesus Christ, how to be healed, how to comport yourself in accordance with Christian principles, how to pray, and how to receive guidance as one of God's kids. It's all there; and I welcome your comments and the many I receive each day. There's still plenty to learn and pass on. God Bless, Dick B. PS: Many of our latest findings are in The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., 2010 www.dickb.com/Christian-Recov-Guide.shtml. Many are frequently posted on my blog www.mauihistorian.blogspot.com, as well as my facebook and twitter entries

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprise: The Golden Text Tells You That Bill Wilson Declared God could and would Cure Alcoholics, April 16, 2008

By 

Daxton Lyon (Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality (Why It Worked-- A.A. History Series) (Paperback)

I know Dick B. quite well. I am an ambassador for Christ. I am a son of God. I am a Bible student. And I'm a former soldier--I know about the spiritual battle too. More than any seem to realize today, Dick has highlighted the same believing in the early A.A. Christian Fellowship. Not much more needs to be said: You need to find the details in this little gem of a book. In a few words, it shows you how Bill Wilson and A.A. Number Three confirmed that the Lord had cured them of alcoholism. It also confirms the later conversions of the A.A. pioneers--they were required to believe in God, come to Him through Jesus Christ, study the Bible, pray, ask His wisdom, obey His will, grow in fellowship, and then experience cure. Whereupon, they were to help others with the same information. They were ambassadors. They were soldiers on the spiritual battlefield. And they knew how to achieve victory. This book is an inspiration for those who want to get well, and who want to say, along with A.A. founders: The Lord has cured me of this terrible disease; and I just want to keep talking about it and telling people. That's the Golden Text of A.A. You can still find it on page 191 of the 4th edition of Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 191.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The winning theme of A.A. for its three first members, November 18, 2006

By 

John Albert Hill Jr. "Bible student in recovery" (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality (Why It Worked-- A.A. History Series) (Paperback)

"The Lord has been so wonderful to me, curing me of this terrible disease that I just want to keep telling people about it." How many AAs and recovery programs today know that Bill Wilson and A.A. Number Three both used this expression. A.A. Number Three called it The Golden Text of A.A. And you can find the details on page 191 of Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed. Yep. It's alive and well today. And if you thumb back a few pages to Dr. Bob's story, you'll see that Bob also twice commented on the cure the pioneers had found. There's lots more in this priceless little book. But it captured the attention of the managers of the Wilson House. It became the subject of one of Dick B.'s Heritage Seminars there. And its words and theme need to be hammered home to those wandering souls that are teaching newcomers more and more often that you can believe in anything you want in A.A., or in nothing at all. Baloney! Not unless you prefer to drink.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Little A.A. History Book That Shows the role of Jesus Christ, October 24, 2011

By 

Dick B. "Dick B." (Kihei, HI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality (Why It Worked-- A.A. History Series) (Paperback)

Many have assumed that A.A. never was Christian. And it certainly isn't today. But that was not the picture in the early days.

Three events are now recorded in A.A. literature that show how the first three AAs regarded Jesus Christ as a critical element in their cures. The first was the statement by Bill Wilson to A.A. Number Three's wife. Bill said, "Henrietta, the Lord has been so wonderful to me curing me of this terrible disease that I just want to keep talking about it and telling people." A.A. Number Three heard the comment, subscribed to it, and said it represented the "golden text of A.A." for him and others. And that is where this little book got its name.

But there was one other early A.A. incident that showed the same focus on Jesus Christ. This was when a newcomer asked Bill Wilson what it was that was causing all these miracles. And Bill pointed to a painting of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane praying. Bill simply said, "There it is."

And this book, The Golden Text of A.A., contains eye witness accounts by three different early A.A. pioneers who all said that newcomers were required to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in order to become "members" of the early A.A. Christian Fellowship.

Hence this little book is of great importance to those many many Christians in A.A. today who feel ill-at-ease if and when they mention Jesus in a meeting and are rebuked by some oldtimer. It shows "Christians in the recovery arena are not alone."