The Holy Bible and The Oxford Group Roles in A.A.

[dickb]

Most who have read my books, looked at my websites, heard my audio blogs, and read my articles will know that my long-time and most deeply researched work on A.A. history and recovery has had to do with A.A.'s basic roots in the Holy Bible. Our most popular book has been The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible http://dickb.com/goodbook.shtml; and its more recent companions--The Good Book-Big Book Guidebook and The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute Essentials. Both of the latter can be found reviewed and discussed, and available for purchase, on my website title pages http://dickb.com/titles.shtml. If you want to know about real early A.A. history and success, the Holy Bible is the starting place. And Dr. Bob said so many times.

However, my earliest research centered around The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous. Because it was so frequently mentioned in A.A. literature, and probably because I didn't learn the Bible's important and role until later. Therefore, the comprehensive and most authoritative study, resource, and bibliography on the OG, is in http://dickb.com/Oxford.shtml. There had been much written pro and con about the Oxford Group, Frank Buchman, and Rev. Sam Shoemaker. Lots of research, particularly at the Episcopal Church Archives in Austin, Texas. The fact is that, when the Big Book was written, Bill Wilson took most of his ideas and language from Rev. Sam Shoemaker and from Oxford Group ideas. However, the Oxford Group was not the original A.A. program source. The Bible was.

In addition to being a Christian in A.A. and a Bible student and historian, my main concern has been how to help the afflicted newcomer get well by the power of God in the manner and using the Biblical precepts that underlie the Big Book, most Oxford Group ideas, and most assuredly the Bible and the truth it contains.

Both sources are relevant--the Bible for the basic ideas http://dickb.com/goodbook.shtml; and the Oxford Group for the program Bill put together in the Big Book and 12 Steps in 1939. For quite a while, our Oxford Group book had sold out and been reprinted so many times that it was out-of-stock.

However, in the last six months, all of my 29 published titles have been placed in print-on-demand status, are available on my own website (http://dickb.com/titles.shtml); Amazon.com; Book Surge, and many other places. And my hope is that those who have waited patiently to get the two most important books on our roots will now be able to obtain them promptly.

God Bless, Dick B.