Why Early A.A. Succeeded: The Good Book in Alcoholics Anonymous Yesterday and Today (A Bible Study Primer for AAs and Other 12-Steppers) [Paperback]

Dick B. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

A Bible-study primer by an active, recovered AA for AAs and 12-Steppers. Specifically written to help the thousands in 12 Step Fellowships who want the specifics about early A.A. Bible study (what was said and done), where Bible study fits in recovery today, and how to begin that study with specific focus on portions of the Bible assuring victory in sobriety and the abundant life that makes it worthwhile.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A book that meets the growing need in recovery for specific information about early A.A. as a Christian Fellowship, holding "old fashioned prayer meetings," and taking its basic and highly successful ideas from the Bible. A "how to" for those asking, "Where and how can I begin" in A.A. itself.

From the Author

I've received hundreds of emails, phone calls, letters, and inquiries from people who have learned A.A.'s roots in the Bible, learned the importance of quiet time and Bible study in early A.A., seen that such groups can exist today, and now are asking where to begin in the Bible. This title answers the questions. It's based on A.A. pioneer history.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Paradise Research Publications, Inc.; 1st edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885803311
• ISBN-13: 978-1885803313
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,414 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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A specific Bible Study Guide from early AA for Today's AAs, October 2, 2001

By 

John Hill IV (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Early A.A. Succeeded: The Good Book in Alcoholics Anonymous Yesterday and Today (A Bible Study Primer for AAs and Other 12-Steppers) (Paperback)

I've long awaited this book. 9 months to be exact. It was to have been a manual for studying the Bible within A.A. and other 12 Step programs. It was delayed because of the author's surgery. At the end, it became a review of what early AAs said about Bible study, about what they studied in the Bible, about what the Bible itself is, about the Bible's statements as to our Creator and His name Yahweh and His son Jesus Christ, and then about what it has to offer in terms of releases we all need--from fear, guilt, shame, failure, despair, loneliness, and so on. The appendices are specific, scholarly studies of God's name Yahweh, of the parts of the Bible Dr. Bob considered essential, and about success in A.A. yesterday compared to today. Very useful!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real instruction book for believers on A.A. history, Bible roots, and Bible study, November 19, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Why Early A.A. Succeeded: The Good Book in Alcoholics Anonymous Yesterday and Today (A Bible Study Primer for AAs and Other 12-Steppers) (Paperback)

A while ago I wrote a brief review of this book. Then I spotted a review which talked about "tolerance" but never even seemed to mention this book or its contents. But time marches on. Since my first review, there has been an intense new interest in A.A.'s Biblical roots and history. Here are a few of the things that have risen on the scene: (1) Regular heritage seminars each year by Dick B. at the Wilson House where Bill Wilson was born and where he went to Sunday School and then nearby lived with his grandfather Griffith. (2) Several nationwide A.A. history conferences sprang up where the real roots were presented by Dick B., by Dr. Bob's son Smitty, by Ray G.--archivist at Dr. Bob's Home, and by several veteran A.A. women who had not been called on before. (3) Dick was asked to speak at Archives 2000, the event at the International Convention in Minneapolis. His topic--the roots of A.A. (4) Several websites, including four of Dick's own, began posting all kinds of important truths about the real early A.A. and pulling no punches when it came to accurate reporting. Some included NICD, aabibliography, anonymousone.com, mental health matters, silkworth.net, Bible Study Notes, and others. (5) More excellent studies by people like Mel B., Hartigan, Tom White, Susan Cheever, Nan Robertson, Raphael, and the biographers of Silkworth and Lois Wilson. (6) The actual Bill Wilson autobiography that had gathered dust for years was covered in Dick B.'s Turning Point and then published in full by Hazelden. There have been lots more appearances of history. But all these gave rise to the need for a guidebook that would tell people where to start as they picked up their Bibles and wanted their studies to bear the same kind of fruit the early AAs plucked from this "absolutely essential" source. Dick has written other titles on this subject since, but this book stands as a one-stop start on A.A. history and the Bible AAs read and you can read--as I have.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Historical Bible Study Primer for AAs and Twelfth Steppers, March 27, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Why Early A.A. Succeeded: The Good Book in Alcoholics Anonymous Yesterday and Today (A Bible Study Primer for AAs and Other 12-Steppers) (Paperback)

Here's a book that meets my need for a simple, progressing, informative approach to studying the Good Book the way early AAs did. It briefly covers early A.A. history. Then it dives into a very valuable approach to studying the Bible to learn about God, the Bible itself, Jesus Christ, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the renewed mind walk, and the important Christian principles and practices. There is a particular focus on the Creator's personal name--Yahweh. The roots and documentation in the Bible of this important name are clearly laid out in the text and the Appendix. Sometimes people are detoured from the Bible in recovery by expressions such as "I couldn't understand it." "I can never get beyond the begats." "I can't deal with the "Thee" and "Thou" language." "A.A. is spiritual but not religious." "You can believe anything you want about God or not god or no God at all." "The word 'God' scares away newcomers." Yet many want to learn about, use, and understand the new birth, the power of God, prayer, the Bible, and the Christian precepts that abound in A.A. history. It fits well with Dick's The Good Book and The Big Book and his later title The Good Book-Big Book Guide Book. It's a great tool I can use in recovery meetings, and do.