There was only the Bible in early A.A.

"There was only the Bible in early A.A."

Make that statement, and you speak the truth.

But anti-A.A. and the un-informed-about-aa just won't look at, study, and then quote the documented truth.

First, let's look at what A.A. cofounder Dr. Bob said in his last major adress to AAs, Detroit, Michigan, 1948. These words are published in many places, but the best and most concise place is A.A. General Service Conference-approved pamphlet P-53.

Its title is "The Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous: Biographical Sketches Their Last Major Talks" (NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1972, 1975).

Page 53 quotes Dr. Bob as follows:

"In the early A.A. days. . . our stories didn't amount to anything to speak of. When we started in on Bill D., we had no Twelve Steps, either; we had no Traditions.

But we were convinced that the answer to our problems was in the Good Book. To some of us older ones, the parts that we found absolutely essential were the Sermon on the Mount, the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and the Book of James. We used to have daily meetings. . ."

This statement was made many times by Dr. Bob in many places and phrased in several ways. I have documented the statement, the early program, and the spots in Jesus' Sermon on the Mounnt, the Book of James, and 1 Corinthians 13 where ideas and verses from those three segments were incorporated directly into early A.A. language, and--four years later--even in parts of Bill Wilson's Big Book.

See Dick B., The Good Book and The Big Book: A.A.'s Roots in the Bible www.dickb.com/goodbook.shtml; The James Club and the Original A.A. Program's Absolute Essentialsl www.dickb.com/JamesClub; and By the Power of God www.dickb.com/powerofGod.shtml.

A thorough discussion of sources and practices can be found now in Dick B. and Ken B., The Dick B. Christian Recovery Guide, 3rd ed., 2010. See www.dickb.com.