New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A. (2d ed.) [Paperback]

Dick B. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

This is the definitive work on the Reverend Canon Samuel Moor Shoemaker, Jr., and his relationship with and contributions to Alcoholics Anonymous and its founder William Griffith Wilson. Prior to the writing of the first edition of this book, few in or out of A.A. had any idea what Bill Wilson really meant when a called Sam Shoemaker a "cofounder" of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this book, however, you will learn the details about Sam Shoemaker, about his participation in and leadership of the American activities of the Oxford Group, his activities in both Calvary Episcopal Church in New York and Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh. The book reviews almost every one of Sam's more than 30 published titles as well as many of his articles and sermons. It shows his towering stature as a life-changer, both in early A.A. and later in the Pittsburgh businessmen's scene. Bill Wilson said that Shoemaker had taught Bill and Bob almost all the subjects encompassed in A.A.'s last of the ten Twelve Steps. This book reveals that Bill actually asked Shoemaker to write those steps, but that Shoemaker declined. The reader will see the great resemblance between A.A. Big Book language and the language which Shoemaker used so often in his writings. The personal friendship between Bill and Sam is covered at length. And, in connection with the Second Edition, author Dick B. and his son traveled to the home of one of Shoemaker's daughters to view Sam's personal journal entries about Bill and other early A.A. figures. They then traveled to the Episcopal Church Archives in Austin, Texas, and there searched through 58 boxes of papers that disclosed Shoemaker's correspondence with Wilson, with Roman Catholic priests, with Oxford Group members, and with many others. The appendices in the book are wide-spread in detail and coverage. They include observations by Oxford Group people, by Lois Wilson, by Wilson, and others. And, in all, they enable the reader to see this clergyman who was named as one of the leading American preachers just as Bill Wilson and the many Shoemaker admirers saw the man. There are also the articles by Shoemaker about A.A. and the contents of his talks to AAs at their international conventions in St. Louis and Long Beach. Three notable people contributed Forewords to this book--Mrs. W. Irving Harris, wife of Shoemaker's assistant minister, who was a resident of Calvary House where Shoemaker lived and was the steward of the Oxford Group and Shoemaker books sold there; Mrs. Nickie Shoemaker Haggart, Shoemaker's younger daughter, who told of her father's affection for AAs and for Bill; and the distinguished former professor of chemical dependency and counseling at Penn State University, Dr. Karen Plavan. There is simply nothing as important, as comprehensive, or as useful for the study of Bill Wilson's formulation of the Big Book as this study of Wilson and Shoemaker.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Study the impact of Sam Shoemaker on the early years of AA Sam was a great communicator, an excellent preacher, a talented counselor & respected by all [Norman Vincent Peale] -- Faith at Work Magazine, Summer, 1999

From the Publisher

This particular volume by A.A.'s "unofficial historian" Dick B. is his latest work on the six major spiritual roots of Alcoholics Anonymous. It relates in detail the writings of the famous Episcopal rector Sam Shoemaker. It tells of Shoemaker's relationship with A.A., with Akron (A.A.'s birthplace), and with A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson. Since Wilson asked Shoemaker to write the Twelve Steps, provided him with a copy of the manuscript of A.A.'s basic text, and kept in close personal touch with Sam from 1934 until Sam's death, this book is a vital part of an understanding of A.A., its principles, and practices. It shows the very words and ideas that A.A. incorporated from Sam's writings and tells the story of Sam's circle of friends who gave so much to A.A.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Paradise Research Publications, Inc.; 2nd edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885803273
• ISBN-13: 978-1885803276
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,274,933 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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A., January 7, 2008

By 

Richard L. Southworth - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A. (2d ed.) (Paperback)

During my high school and early college years, I was a member of The Rev. Sam Shoemaker's congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I got to know him and his family quite well. He was, without doubt, the most dynamic and holy man I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Since that time, I have spoken with many alcoholism counselors as well as A.A. members -- all (who knew anything about the history of A.A.) had only positive things to say about the role "Sam" played in helping to develop the "12 step" program. Now, having said that, let's get to the book itself.

I found this book to be a very extensive and, I believe, thorough account of the influence of this one Episcopal clergyman (and the God who obviously directed him) on the wording of the twelve steps. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who would like to know more about the early development of A.A. and the clergyman working behind the scenes during that development.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Shoemaker/AA biography and history revisited, November 15, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A. (2d ed.) (Paperback)

This book is a tough chew because it covers so many items in such great depth. It details some of Rev.Sam Shoemaker's life. It covers his personal relationship with A.A. and Bill Wilson. To make a knowledge of Shoemaker writings much easier, it specifically reviews almost every Shoemaker book written from 1921 through the year A.A.'s Big Book was published. And it touches on those published thereafter which commented on A.A. or contained repeat and relevant materials. It lists the dozens of words and phrases from Shoemaker writings that can be found in the Big Book, Twelve Steps, and A.A. materials. And, in its body and appendices, it covers the astonishing body of Shoemaker treasures Dick unearthed at the Episcopal Church Archives in Austin, Texas; at Shoemaker's two Calvary churches in Pittsburgh and New York; in Shoemaker's books and articles and sermons; in Sam's personal journals--never before seen or reported; and in the minds and memories of those friends who knew and worked with Sam. The particular treasure was the Pittsburgh section. Dick went back to Pittsburgh and interviewed the "golf club crowd" which Sam had rounded up and put to work in the Pittsburgh Experiment, businessmen's prayer meetings, and other unique outreach. These old-timers were alive and kicking and gave their reports on Sam and his methods with lots of enthusiams. There's plenty more. But I wanted to report that I've learned much much more in the last few years about the Rev. Sam Shoemaker that every A.A. ought to know. For it was to Sam that Bill turned and asked if Sam would actually write the Twelve Steps--Sam humbly declining.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A teacher of the 12 Steps and the Word of God, January 7, 2001

By 

John Hill IV (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A. (2d ed.) (Paperback)

Bill W. called Rev. Shoemaker a co-founder of A.A. He said most of the ideas in the 12 Steps came from Rev. Shoemaker, and he actually asked Shoemaker to write the 12 Steps, but Shoemaker declined, saying they should come from an alcoholic. Shoemaker's books, articles, and talks from beginning to end were about faith, prayer, and the Bible. This book helps to bring the A.A. roots and the Bible into focus