In his outstanding book chronicling the history of AA entitled ‘Not God’, the author Ernst Kurtz emphasizes key differences between the philosophy of the Oxford Group and the reality of what has taken place in AA. The Oxford Group promoted the Four Absolutes – Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness, and Love. Our co-founder Bill W. was veryContinue reading “Origins of ‘Progress Not Perfection’ & The Dangers of Absolutes & Perfectionism – Not God: A History of AA By Ernest Kurtz”
Category Archives: AA History
Let’s Be Friendly With Our Friends …The Clergy – Grapevine Article September 1957 By Bill W.
EVERY RIVER HAS A WELLSPRING at its source. AA is like that, too. In the beginning, there was a spring which poured out of a clergyman, Dr. Samuel Shoemaker. ‘Way back in 1934 he began to teach us the principles and attitudes that afterward came to full flower in AA’s Twelve Steps for Recovery. IfContinue reading “Let’s Be Friendly With Our Friends …The Clergy – Grapevine Article September 1957 By Bill W.”
Think, Think, Think! Grapevine Article August 2023 By Jim C.
The sign was upside-down—but so was his thinking! I was 21 when I went to my first AA meeting. I enjoyed it. I felt I was home and with my people and for once in the right place. At that first meeting I met a friend and former drinking buddy named “Big Dan.” He cameContinue reading “Think, Think, Think! Grapevine Article August 2023 By Jim C.”
I Didn’t Want to Want to … Grapevine Article June 1960 By Warden Clinton Duffy
San Quentin’s former warden tells how Prison Groups offer alcoholic inmates a means for recovery from the disease that is often directly responsible for criminal records ONE OF the hundreds of alcoholic inmates who appear before the California Adult Authority (Parole Board), for fixing of sentence and possible parole consideration, said to me: “I couldContinue reading “I Didn’t Want to Want to … Grapevine Article June 1960 By Warden Clinton Duffy”
People And Principles – Grapevine Article October 1971 By M.D.B.
Personalities change and people are often wrong, but principles remain constant OUR FELLOWSHIP would not be where it is today if we had not benefited from the influence of some wonderful personalities–fine men and women who launched our groups and set the tone for everything that AA was to become. We are doubly fortunate, however,Continue reading “People And Principles – Grapevine Article October 1971 By M.D.B.”
The Wily Ego – Grapevine Article December 1962 By Harry M. Tiebout,M.D.
The capacity of the Ego to bypass experience is astounding and would be humorous were it not so tragic in its consequences. Cutting the individual down to size and making the results last is a task never completely accomplished. The possibility of a return of his infantile Ego must be faced by every alcoholic. IfContinue reading “The Wily Ego – Grapevine Article December 1962 By Harry M. Tiebout,M.D.”
Unpacking The 4th Step Example P.65 In The Big Book – Practice These Principles By Ray A.
Making a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves in Step 4 is fundamentally a spiritual enterprise. Yet it is at the same time intensely practical and uncompromisingly moral. Indeed, as we have seen, in AA the spiritual is understood to encompass the practical and the moral. The interaction of these three, the spiritual, theContinue reading “Unpacking The 4th Step Example P.65 In The Big Book – Practice These Principles By Ray A.”
A Reciprocal Dynamic – Grapevine Article April 1992 By Anonymous
When we practice Tradition Four while remembering Step Three, everybody wins TRADITION FOUR: Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. What does Tradition Four mean to me? This Tradition reminds me of Tradition One. Tradition One deal’s with the relationship between the value of personal recoveryContinue reading “A Reciprocal Dynamic – Grapevine Article April 1992 By Anonymous”
Walking Toward Serenity – As Bill Sees It #92
When I was tired and couldn’t concentrate, I used to fall back on an affirmation toward life that took the form of simple walking and deep breathing. I sometimes told myself that I couldn’t do even this—that I was to weak. But I learned that this was the point at which I could not giveContinue reading “Walking Toward Serenity – As Bill Sees It #92”
Black & Blue & Yellow – Grapevine Article April 2024 By Judith M.
Celebrating 50 years of sobriety, she took down her book and marveled at the marks she made that mattered most It was my 50th AA anniversary month and time for a good annual house cleaning. So I got down my original Big Book, a sixth printing of the Second edition, to reminisce. I was struckContinue reading “Black & Blue & Yellow – Grapevine Article April 2024 By Judith M.”