Lena Savoie
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a spiritual program for alcohol addiction recovery that was founded in 1935. The program's spiritual ideas were largely influenced by the Oxford Group, a Christian movement that emphasized universal spiritual values in daily living. Rowland Hazard, an American business executive and alcoholic, was treated by psychiatrist Carl Jung, who suggested that his only hope for recovery was a spiritual conversion with a religious group. Following Jung's advice, Hazard joined the Oxford Group and experienced a spiritual awakening that led to his liberation from alcohol. Hazard's journey inspired the principles of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous, including the concepts of meetings, sharing, restitution, rigorous honesty, and surrendering one's will and life to God's care.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Emphasis on universal spiritual values in daily living | God will provide all necessary resources as long as members surrender themselves completely to his guidance |
| Treatment of sin as a disease | Sin was "anything that stood between the individual and God" |
| Self-examination | Selfishness and self-centeredness were considered the key problems |
| Acknowledgment of character defects | If one could "surrender one's ego to God", sin would go with it |
| Restitution for harm done | N/A |
| Working with others | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Rowland Hazard's journey from psychiatric treatment to spiritual conversion
Rowland Hazard, an American business executive, struggled with alcoholism. In 1926, he sought treatment from psychiatrist Carl Jung in Zurich, Switzerland. Despite this, Hazard was unable to stay sober and resumed drinking when he returned to the US. He went back to Jung for further treatment, who told him that his case was nearly hopeless, like many other alcoholics. Jung suggested that his only hope might be a "spiritual conversion" or a ""vital spiritual experience" with a religious group.
Back in the US, Rowland Hazard joined the Oxford Group, a highly visible Christian Evangelical movement of the time. The group was dedicated to what its members termed "the Four Absolutes" as a summary of the Sermon on the Mount: absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness, and absolute love. They believed that sin was anything that stood between an individual and God, frustrating God's plan for oneself. The group also believed in the possibility of complete victory over sin through a spiritual conversion.
Hazard underwent a spiritual conversion with the help of the Oxford Group and began to experience the liberation from alcohol he was seeking. He became converted to a lifetime of sobriety while on a train ride from New York to Detroit after reading *For Sinners Only* by Oxford Group member AJ Russell.
Hazard's involvement with the Oxford Group played a pivotal role in shaping the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The Oxford Group's teachings influenced AA concepts such as "meetings", "sharing" (public confession), "restitution", "rigorous honesty", and "surrendering one's will and life to God's care". The group's emphasis on personal evangelism, where one changed person shares their experience with another, was also adopted by AA.
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The role of the Oxford Group
The Oxford Group was a Christian organization founded in 1921 by Lutheran priest Frank Buchman. The group was later renamed Moral Re-arrangement, reflecting its purpose of giving members a moral rearrangement. The group's teachings were based on universal spiritual values and daily living. They believed that sin was "anything that stood between the individual and God", and that selfishness and self-centredness were the key problems.
The Oxford Group played a pivotal role in shaping the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Rowland Hazard, an American business executive and alcoholic, underwent a spiritual conversion with the help of the Oxford Group, which led to his liberation from alcohol. He was introduced to Ebby Thacher, who was also in the Oxford Group and sober. Thacher then contacted his old friend Bill Wilson, who was also an alcoholic, and introduced him to the basic tenets of the Oxford Group. Wilson went on to become interested in learning how to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, another member of the Oxford Group, founded Alcoholics Anonymous.
The Oxford Group's teachings influenced several AA concepts, such as "meetings" and "sharing" (public confession), "restitution", "rigorous honesty", and "surrendering one's will and life to God's care". The early AA also got its ideas of self-examination, acknowledgment of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others from the Oxford Group. The Oxford Group's concept of sin as a disease and the need for a complete surrender to God can also be seen in early AA.
The Oxford Group's influence extended beyond just the principles of AA. The group's literature and phrases were often cited in AA meetings and literature. The Oxford Group's founder, Frank Buchman, and its leader in America, Sam Shoemaker, were also closely associated with the development of AA.
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The influence of Carl Jung
Wilson's formulation of the dilemma of the alcoholic and the early AA's ideas of self-examination, acknowledgment of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others were influenced by the Oxford Group and its former leader in America, Sam Shoemaker. The Oxford Group was a Christian evangelical movement active in Europe and the US during the 1920s and '30s. It treated sin as a disease and believed that sin stood between the individual and God. It also believed that selfishness and self-centredness were the key problems.
One of the Oxford Group members, Rowland Hazard, an American business executive, sought treatment for alcoholism with psychiatrist Carl Jung in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1926. Jung told Hazard that his case was nearly hopeless and that his only hope might be a "spiritual conversion" with a religious group. After returning to the US, Hazard joined the Oxford Group, whose teachings were the source of such AA concepts as "meetings", "sharing" (public confession), "restitution", "rigorous honesty", and "surrendering one's will and life to God's care".
Jung's belief that a spiritual conversion could help alcoholics recover was based on his background and interest. His father and several uncles were clergymen, while his mother reported having "second sight" and said she was visited by spirits at night. After earning his MD in 1902, Jung joined the psychiatric hospital of the University of Zurich, where he treated many difficult patients with alcohol-related problems.
In 1961, Wilson wrote a letter to Jung, acknowledging his "critical role in the founding of our Fellowship". Wilson had himself experienced the religious/spiritual conversion that Jung and James describe, which stopped his chronic alcoholism abruptly and permanently. AA's Twelve Steps are designed to create a spiritual experience, a "total psychic change," of the type needed to cure chronic alcoholism. This is one of the reasons why psychology has failed to help alcoholics and addicts, because psychology, by definition, is not concerned with the type of spiritual element needed for a person to recover from drugs and alcohol.
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The impact of Ebby Thacher
Edwin Throckmorton Thacher, commonly known as Ebby Thacher or Ebby T., was instrumental in the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Born in 1896, Thacher was a lifelong friend of AA co-founder Bill Wilson, whom he met at school. Thacher struggled with alcoholism throughout his life, often finding himself in mental hospitals or jail. Despite his own struggles, Thacher played a pivotal role in Wilson's journey to sobriety and, by extension, the creation of AA.
Thacher was introduced to Wilson through mutual friends from the Oxford Group, Rowland Hazard, F. Shepard Cornell, and Cebra Graves. They convinced a court to parole Thacher into their custody, and he was lodged in the Calvary Rescue Mission, led by Oxford Group leader Sam Shoemaker. Thacher underwent a spiritual conversion with the help of the Oxford Group and its members, including Hazard. Thacher's conversion was inspired by the book "For Sinners Only" by Oxford Group member AJ Russell.
In November 1934, Thacher visited Wilson, intending to spend the day drinking and reminiscing. However, Wilson was surprised when Thacher refused to drink, stating that he had "got religion". Thacher shared with Wilson the teachings of Rowland Hazard and the Oxford Group's life-changing program, as well as the idea of a genuine conversion or spiritual conversion for alcoholics, which was passed on to Thacher through Hazard and Jung's thesis. This idea became a fundamental principle of AA. Thacher also introduced Wilson to the book "Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James, which further influenced Wilson's thinking.
Thacher's impact on Wilson was profound. Wilson initially declined Thacher's invitation to sobriety but eventually underwent a religious conversion himself and was admitted to a hospital for drug and alcohol addiction. Thacher visited Wilson in the hospital and helped him take what would become crucial steps in the AA program. Wilson maintained his sobriety and, along with Bob Smith, founded Alcoholics Anonymous. Thacher became Wilson's sponsor in AA, and Wilson cared for Thacher's welfare for the rest of his life, even as Thacher struggled with sobriety himself.
Ebby Thacher's role in the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous is widely recognized. He is credited with inspiring Wilson to start AA, and his gravesite in Albany Rural Cemetery is one of the most visited sites, with AA members making pilgrimages to honour his memory and the impact he had on their lives.
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The early success of AA
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, by Bill W., a New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bob S., an Akron surgeon. Both had struggled with alcoholism and had been in contact with the Oxford Group, a mostly non-alcoholic fellowship that emphasised universal spiritual values.
Secondly, AA's early success was due to the dedication and efforts of its founders, Bill W. and Dr. Bob S. They immediately began working with alcoholics at Akron's City Hospital, and one patient quickly achieved complete sobriety. This patient, along with Bill and Dr. Bob, formed the nucleus of the first AA group. Bill maintained his recovery by working with other alcoholics, and his collaboration with Dr. Bob helped spread the message of AA.
Thirdly, the publication of the book "Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism" (also known as "the Big Book") in 1939 played a crucial role in AA's early success. The book explained AA's philosophy and methods, including the now well-known Twelve Steps of recovery. It also included case histories of thirty recovered members. The book's publication sparked media interest, with positive articles and editorials in publications like "The Cleveland Plain Dealer", "Liberty" magazine, and "The Saturday Evening Post". These articles generated a surge of interest and requests for help, leading to the establishment of many new AA groups.
Finally, the early success of AA can be attributed to the organisation's inclusivity and adaptability. While AA meetings welcome all alcoholics, some are tailored to specific demographics such as gender, age, profession, or cultural background. Additionally, since the mid-1970s, "agnostic" or "no-prayer" AA groups have emerged, accommodating those who doubt the role of spirituality in their recovery. The willingness of AA to adapt to different cultural and spiritual backgrounds has likely contributed to its early and ongoing success.
By the end of 1940, AA's membership had grown to 2,000, and by 1950, there were 100,000 recovered alcoholics worldwide. AA's early success laid the foundation for its continued growth and impact, and it is now present in approximately 180 nations worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
The Oxford Group was the spiritual forerunner of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The Oxford Group was a Christian spiritual movement that emphasised personal change through faith and accountability. They believed that sin was "anything that stood between the individual and God".
The Oxford Group's teachings were the source of many Alcoholics Anonymous concepts, such as "meetings", "sharing" (public confession), "restitution", "rigorous honesty", and "surrendering one's will and life to God's care".
