Some Important Facts About Sam Shoemaker, Bill Wilson, and A.A.
Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
by Richard Burns, J.D.
Dick B.
Sam's first significant book was Realizing Religion, published by the Association Press in 1923. In that book, Sam laid out precepts which survived until and into the life-changing concepts Bill incorporated in the Big Book and Twelve Steps in 1939.
It was at Calvary Rescue Mission in New York (owned by Sam's Calvary Episcopal Church) that Bill Wilson made his dramatic decision for Jesus Christ and wrote that "For sure I was born again." Mrs. Samuel Shoemaker witnessed that decision.
On his release from Towns, Bill was given a task by Sam Shoemaker to help a drunken chemistry professor, which Bill did. And less than 60 days after he got sober, Bill received a letter from Shoemaker commending Bill for his efforts-and suggesting another drunk to work on.
Before long, Bill was part of a processional from Calvary Episcopal Church to Madison Square . Shoemaker led the group in full vestment. The group carried a sign, "Jesus Christ changes lives." And various folks got on a soap box and witnessed as to what God had done for them.
It was a classic approach by Shoemaker to be introduced to a person, state "Tell me your story."
And then have the person on his knees surrendering his life to Jesus Christ. Even in Pittsburgh , there was the famous event on Mount Washington where Sam got his parishioner on his knees, told him that Pittsburgh was his parish, and that he was to make Pittsburgh as famous for God as it was for steel.
After Bill secured a vote in Akron that authorized the publication of a basic textbook, Bill closeted himself in the "book-lined" study at Calvary House with Sam Shoemaker, and the two men hammered out the basic Christian ideas that were codified into the Big Book in 1939. The details can be found in the book by Dick B. and Bill Pittman, Courage to Change.
Bill actually asked Sam Shoemaker to write the Twelve Steps, but Sam declined and told Bill they should be written by an alcoholic, namely Bill.
Bill had submitted a pre-publication manuscript to Sam for Sam's comments.
In New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A., 2d ed., by Dick B., there are dozens of quotations from the books, articles, and comments of Sam Shoemaker which have an almost verbatim counterpart in the language of the Twelve Steps.
Bill acknowledged Sam's role and dubbed him a "Cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous." Later, Bill wrote that ten of the Twelve Steps of A.A. had come directly from the teachings of Rev. Sam Shoemaker.
Some classic A.A. ideas that can be found in Shoemaker's earlier writings are these: (1) You need to find God. (2) You need a vital religious experience. (3) Surrender as much of yourself as you understand to as much of God as you understand. (4) Marvel not at what you have done, but marvel at what God has done for you. (5) A spiritual awakening has four elements: prayer, conversion, fellowship, and witness. (6) The life changing process begins with a "decision."
(7) Early A.A.'s Four Absolutes-honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love-came from The Principles of Jesus by Robert E. Speer.
Shoemaker became almost an unknown figure in A.A. until after Dr. Bob's death. Then Shoemaker was invited to speak at the 1955 A.A. International Convention in St. Louis . Next at the 1960 A.A. International Convention in Long Beach . Finally, to write a number of articles that were published in the AA Grapevine.
Sam's very first radio program to America was titled, "Good Morning." There Sam spelled out the simple ingredients of morning quiet time-Bible reading, prayer, seeking guidance, using devotionals. See Good Morning!: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation, and Early A.A. by Dick B.
For those who want an accurate and comprehensive picture of where the language of A.A.'s Big Book and Twelve Steps came from, the place to start is with The Rev. Dr. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr.-a Cofounder of A.A.
dickb@dickb.com
www.dickb.com/newlight.shtml
Gloria Deo
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