Burns M. Brady, MD, FASAM, FAAFP
Bill Wilson - letter to Carl Jung, Jan. 23, 1961
A.
Thanks for direction to Rowland Hazard
B.
Jung’s reply: Jan. 30, 1961
1. Alcohol excess
Man’s thirst for God (union)
2. Relieved by Grace
Companionship with others
Higher education of the mind beyond rationalism
3. Alcohol in Latin – Spiritus
a. Highest religious experience
b. Most depraving poison
Spiritus contra Spiritum
“It takes the Spirit of God to overcome the (harmful) spirit of alcohol.”
C.
Rowland Hazard given the spiritual – religious solution
A.
B.
Background
1. Wealthy family – Connecticut
2. Carl Jung 1931-1933
3. Joined Oxford Group 1934
4. Died 1944 – never in AA
Oxford Group participation
1. Carried the message
Key man
Change
Guidance – prayer & share
Service (help people – all, not just
alcoholics)
Restitution
Inventory
C.
D.
Meets Ebby Thacher – 1934
1. Manchester – Ebby jail
a. Judge Graves – Father Cebra G.
b. Cebra G.
c. Shep C.
d. Rowland Hazard
Sponsors Ebby for approximately 6 months
1. Texas
2. Clean up Manchester
3. Delivers to Calvary Mission
Fall 1934 (Home Oxford Group)
Frank Buckman
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1878 – Lutheran background
Ordained as minister in 1905
Serious resentment and rebuff at orphanage
where he was director
1908 – Keswick Convention
Keswick, England – where he had a rapture
experience of Jesus while listening to a sermon by
a little-known minister, Jessie Penn-Lewis
(spiritual awakening of the sudden “light
experience”) vs (educational experience)
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He talked of sin and acceptance of Christ
Alcoholics Anonymous, 27 years later, talked
of character defects and a spiritual awakening
as the result of these steps
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He spent 6 years at Penn State as a YMCA
secretary where he developed his philosophy
of the Oxford Group, which was primarily the
“Key Man and Abstinence” position
(alcohol and smoking)
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Initially, from 1920 to 1928, the group was
called “First Century Christian Fellowship”
From 1928 to 1938 it was known as the
“Oxford Group” - (first called by South African
press when a group from Oxford came there
to preach)
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In this 10-year period were developed the
concepts of:
A.
B.
C.
D.
House parties
Change
Guidance
Maximum
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Attempts to refer to the 6 steps of the Oxford
Group (as precursors of the 12 Steps of AA)
were only loosely connected since the Oxford
Group referred to the “four absolutes”, not
the 6 steps:
Honesty
Unselfishness
Love
Purity
Derived from Robert Speer in his 1902 book
“The Principles of Jesus”
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The Oxford Group did have some critical
points that were emphasized
Men are sinners
Men can be changed
Confession is prerequisite to change
The changed soul has direct access to God
The age of miracles has returned
Those who have been changed must change
others
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These absolutes and 6 points were the
foundation of anecdotal communication prior
to the writing of the book “Alcoholics
Anonymous” with its Twelve Step Program
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In 1938, the Oxford Group became known as
MRA – Moral Rearmament
It still exists with its headquarters in Caux,
Switzerland
Its membership and support declined greatly
after Buckman’s death in 1961
A.
B.
C.
Calvary Episcopal Church – International
Headquarters of the Oxford Group
Calvary Mission 1926-1936 – Indigent
recovery center – where Rowland Hazard left
Ebby Fall 1934
Calvary House – location of administration of
the church - also housed meetings of the
Oxford groups
Priest – Sam Shoemaker
Director of Mission – Henry Harrison Hadley II
Director
D. Henry Harrison Hadley II
1. Jerry McAuley – Water Street Mission
NYC 1870 Died 1984
2. Mission run by Samuel Hopkins Hadley
(Varieties of Religious Experience)
and his brother Henry Harrison Hadley
3. Sam’s son, Henry Harrison Hadley II,
brought the fundamental basis of
spiritual conversion to Calvary Mission
from his own and his father’s
experience
Priest
E.
Sam Shoemaker
1. Met Frank Buchman in China in 1918
while on missionary trip (Sam was 24 years
old, handsome, rich, devout, Princeton
graduate
2. He asked for help and through their work
together underwent a conversion
experience
“Give to God the resentment and look at my part.
God’s love and turn the other cheek. Do God’s work
in God’s way.”
E.
Sam Shoemaker (cont’d)
3. To Seminary and was ordained 1921.
In 1924 became rector of Calvary
Church and was there 28 years
4. To Pittsburgh Calvary Church in 1950.
Died 1963
5. Condolences – good friends Norman
Vincent Peale and Billy Graham
6. This man was a giant. Wilson stated
that he and he alone was the
inspiration of the Steps of AA
A.
Development of the Firestone connection
1. 1924 James Newton (19 years old, luggage
salesman) by mistake went into a “First Century
Christianity” meeting (precursor of the Oxford
Group). He underwent a spiritual change
2. 1928 – hired as personal assistant by Harvey
Firestone, Sr., age 23
3. Became close friend of Russell (Bud)
Firestone, Harvey’s second son.
4. Bud was severe alcoholic and tried with Newton
to deal with this unsuccessfully until 1931
5.
6.
7.
1931 – Trip to Denver for Episcopal
Church meeting – Newton, Firestone,
and “coincidentally” some Oxford
Group team members including Sam
Shoemaker
On return trip Shoemaker and
Firestone had a personal and private
talk. Surrender and conversion occurred.
1951 – Died sober
Harvey Firestone, Sr., so grateful he
sponsored Oxford Group House Party
1933
B.
Oxford Group 1933 Akron
1. Lasted weekend with thousands attending,
including many industrialists (key man)
2. Train met by Bud’s wife, Dorothy, and Rev.
Walter Tunks, Bill’s contact in Mayflower.
Anne Smith (Bob’s wife) and Henrietta
Seiberling were there. Bob was not.
3. 1934 Bob began to attend Oxford Group
meeting at the home of T. Henry and Clarace
Williams with Ann and Henrietta. They had
been attending for 2 years.
4. Bob confessed (they all knew) that his
secret was he could not stop drinking
5. They all knelt and prayed for guidance
(this was approximately 2 weeks prior
to Bill’s arrival in May 1935)
The stage was set in Akron
A.
B.
Relationship – William D. Silkworth
1. Disease – physical allergy & mental obsession
2. Solution – moral psychology
Relationship – Ebby
1. Ebby’s background, rich family, politicians,
manufacturers, summered in Manchester
2. Drinking – Bill
Ebby had some episodes, not frequent
3. Call – Ebby made “12” Step call in November
1934. Contents – personal story – choose your
own concept of a Higher Power, do the steps
(Oxford Group)
4. Fellowship – Roland, Sam, Oxford Group and
Towns
C.
Rapture experience “Hot Flash” Religious
Experience – Spiritual Experience – Spiritual
Awakening
Richard Bucke – Cosmic Consciousness
William James – Varieties of Religious Experience
Wilson did the Steps December 11-18
“wind blew through”
The stage was set in New York
A.
B.
C.
D.
Failed business deal
Broke and afraid
Multiple phone calls
Reached Rev. Walter Tunks – Henrietta
Seiberling – Bob Smith
A.
B.
C.
D.
One alcoholic to another “I drank like that –
I feel like that”
Disease – Bodily and mentally different
Spiritual Solution – mental, physical,
emotional illness
Spirituality – Humility – 1-2-3 Steps
Responsibility – 4-12 Steps
“Faith without works is dead”
Pass it on
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1937 – Bill and Lois left the Oxford Group
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1939 – Bob and Ann left the Oxford Group
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1941 – Sam Shoemaker and Calvary Episcopal
Church left the Oxford Group
AA at this time had the message, recorded it in
text book form, and became all inclusive never
exclusive