Sunday, January 30, 2011

The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute Essentials

Dr. Bob and Bill W. both made the point that the Book of James in the Bible was a favorite in early A.A. So much so, Bill said, that the early AAs wanted to call their book and their program "The James Club."

Even more significant, Dr. Bob frequently stated--also in his last major speech to AAs as set forth in A.A. General Service Conference-approved pamphlet P-53--that the early AAs believed the answer to their problems was in the Bible. He added that the parts considered "absolutely essential" were the Book of James, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13. He said further that the basic ideas for the Twelve Steps came from their study and effort in the Bible.
He usually referred to the Bible as the "Good Book."

Both Bill W. and Dr. Bob stated that Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) contained the underlying spiritual philosophy of A.A.

And Bill is quoted by one historian as "favoring" "Corinthians. Dr. Bob went much further. He strongly recommended Henry Drummond's book, The Greatest Thing in the World, which was a study of 1 Corinthians 13.

The clear-cut link between the three Bible segments and A.A. is studied, set forth, and documented in my book The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute Essentials. www.dickb.comJamesClub.shtml.

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