Occurrences of the Word “God” and Related Words on Pages 1-164 of Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Ed.
Part 4: The 41 Occurrences of Non-Biblical Descriptions of “God” on pages 1-164 of Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed.
[Bolding added for clarity]
“Creative Intelligence” Three (3) Occurrences
p. 12: “I could go for such conceptions as Creative Intelligence, . . .”[1]
[** Endnote 1 **]
p. 46: “As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, we began to be possessed of a new sense of power and direction, provided we took other simple steps.”
p. 49: “When, however, the perfectly logical assumption is suggested that underneath the material world and life as we see it, there is an All Powerful, Guiding, Creative Intelligence, right there our perverse streak comes to the surface . . .”
“Czar of the Heavens” One (1) Occurrence
p. 12: “. . . [B]ut I resisted the thought of a Czar of the Heavens, however loving His sway might be.”
[** See Endnote 1 **]
“Director” One (1) Occurrence
p. 62: “God was going to be our Director.”
“Employer” One (1) Occurrence
p. 63: “We had a new Employer. Being all powerful, He provided what we
“Friend” One (1) Occurrence
p. 13: “I ruthlessly faced my sins and became willing to have my new-found Friend take them away, root and branch. I have not had a drink since.”
“Great Reality” Two (2) Occurrences
p. 55: “We found the Great Reality deep down within us.”
p. 161: “They had visioned the Great Reality—their loving and All Powerful Creator.”
“Higher Power” Two (2) Occurrences
p. 43: “. . . [N]either he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.”[2]
[** Endnote 2 **]
p. 100: {“p. 99: Remind the prospect that his recovery is not depen-
[p. 100 begins:] dent upon people. It is dependent upon his relationship with God. . . . When we look back, we realize that the things which came to us when we put ourselves in God’s hands were better than anything we could have planned.}
Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!”[3]
[** Endnote 3 ** (See also Endnote 2)]
“Infinite Power and Love” One (1) Occurrence
p. 56: “He stood in the Presence of Infinite Power and Love.”
“One” Two (2) Occurrences
p. 59 (1st): “. . . [T]here is One who has all power—that One is God.”
p. 59 (2d): “. . . [T]here is One who has all power—that One is God.”
“Power” Four (4) Occurrences
p. 45: “But where and how were we to find this Power?”
p. 46: “. . . even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God.”
p. 50 (1st): “This Power has in each case accomplished the miraculous.”
p. 50 (2d): “They flatly declare that since they have come . . . to take a certain attitude toward that Power, . . .”
“a Power beyond ourselves”: One (1) Occurrence
pp. 46: “We were bothered with the thought that faith and dependence upon a Power beyond ourselves was somewhat weak, even cowardly.”
“a Power greater than myself/himself/ourselves/yourself/themselves”: 11 Occurrences
p. 10: “I had always believed in a Power greater than myself.”[4]
[** Endnote 4 **]
p. 12: “It was only a matter of being willing to believe in a Power greater than myself.” [italics in original]
[See Endnote 1 and Endnote 4]
p. 45 (1st): “We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. (italics in original)
[See Endnote 4]
p. 45 (2d): “Well, that’s exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem.”
p. 46: “We found that as soon as we were able to lay aside prejudice and express even a willingness to believe in a Power greater than ourselves, we commenced to get results, even though it was impossible for any of us to fully define or comprehend that Power, which is God.”
p. 47: “We needed to ask ourselves but one short question. ‘Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?’”
p. 48: “The reader may still ask why he should believe in a Power greater than himself.”
p. 50 (1st): “Every one of them has gained access to, and believes in, a Power greater than himself.”
p. 59: “2. Came to believe a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
[See Endnote 4]
p. 93: “The main thing is that he be willing to believe in a Power greater than himself and that he live by spiritual principles.” (italics in original)
“Power which is greater than himself”: One (1) Occurrence
p. 50 (1st): “In our personal stories you will find a wide variation in the way each teller approaches and conceives of the Power which is greater than himself.”
“Principal” One (1) Occurrence
p. 62 (2d): “He is the Principal; we are His agents.”
“Providence” One (1) Occurrence
p. 101: “To a person who has had experience with an alcoholic, this may seem like tempting Providence, but it isn’t.”
“Spirit of Nature” One (1) Occurrence
p. 12: “I could go for such conceptions as . . . Spirit of Nature . . .”
[** See Endnote 1 **]
“Spirit of the Universe”: Four (4) Occurrences
p. 10: “I simply had to believe in a Spirit of the Universe, who knew neither time nor limitation.”
p. 46: “As soon as we admitted the possible existence of a Creative Intelligence, a Spirit of the Universe underlying the totality of things, . . .”
p. 52: “When we saw others solve their problems by a simple reliance upon the Spirit of the Universe, we had to stop doubting the power of God.”
p. 75: “We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe.”
“Supreme Being” Two (2) Occurrences
p. 46 (1st): “How could a Supreme Being have anything to do with it all?”
p. 46 (2d): “And who could comprehend a Supreme Being anyhow?”
“Universal Mind” One (1) Occurrence
p. 12: “I could go for such conceptions as . . . Universal Mind . . .”
[** See Endnote 1 **]
[1] [** Endnote 1 **] This phrase, in its occurrence here, is part of a four-paragraph, handwritten section of text that was inserted into the printer’s copy of Alcoholics Anonymous just before the first edition was published in April 1939. The four-paragraph inserted section of text begins with the words “Despite the living example of my friend . . .” on page 12 of the fourth edition (2001) and ends with the words “Of course I would!” on page 12 of the fourth edition. All five of the non-biblical expressions referring to God included in the four-paragraph insertion on page 12—i.e., (a) “Creative Intelligence,” (b) “Universal Mind,” (c) “Spirit of Nature,” (d) “Czar of the Heavens,” and (e) “a Power greater than myself”—were not present in the prepublication copy of Alcoholics Anonymous, better known as “the Multilith Edition” or “the Original Manuscript.” [See The Book That Started It All (http://mcaf.ee/omv8x; accessed 12/17/12), or see the “Original Manuscript” (http://www.silkworth.net/originalmanuscript/chapter1.html#BILLSSTORY; accessed 12/17/12), for more details.]
[2] [** Endnote 2 **] {* The portion of text quoted above from Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed. (2001), p. 43—in which the phrase “Higher Power” appears with the initial letter “h” in the word “Higher” capitalized—occurs in the last part of the final paragraph of chapter three, “More about Alcoholism.”
The same portion of text quoted above was found on page 55 of Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st ed., 1st printing (April 1939). However, in the first edition of April 1939, the final three-word phrase read: “. . . a higher Power;” i.e., with the initial letter “h” in the word “higher” not being capitalized.
So sometime between the publication of the original book Alcoholics Anonymous—i.e., the first printing of the first edition published in April 1939—, and the publication of the fourth edition of Alcoholics Anonymous in 2001, the decision was made to capitalize the initial letter “h” in the word “higher” and turn the phrase containing the word “higher” into the form seen far and wide for many years since; i.e.: “a Higher Power.”
How significant was the change in the capitalization of the initial letter “h” in the word “higher”?
Another significant change was made on those same pages sometime between when the first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous was published in April 1939 and when the fourth edition of Alcoholics Anonymous published in 2001.
The first edition of Alcoholics Anonymous (April 1939) read: “. . . [Y]ou were 100% hopeless, apart from Divine help.” {Note the capitalization of the initial letter “d” in the word “Divine.” Note also that the words “. . . [Y]ou were . . .” are found on page 54, and the remaining words in the sentence—i.e., “. . . 100% hopeless apart from Divine help.”—are found on page 55.}
Contrast the capitalization of the initial letter “d” in the word “Divine” in the first edition (1939) with what is found in the fourth edition (2001): “. . . [Y]ou were 100% hopeless, apart from divine help.” In the fourth (2001) edition of Alcoholics Anonymous,” the initial letter “d” in the word “divine” was lowercased. That is, the capitalization of the word “Divine” in the first (1939) edition was changed to “divine” in the fourth (2001) edition.
What significance was there to these two “companion” changes?
[3] [** Endnote 3 **] The portion of text quoted above is found in chapter 7, “Working with Others,” in Alcoholics Anonymous [4th ed. (2001)]. The portion of text quoted above appears on page 112 of Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st ed. (April 1939). The wording, including the capitalization of the initial letter “h” (in the word “Higher”) and the initial letter “p” (in the word “Power”), reads the same as in the fourth (2001) edition.
[4] [** Endnote 4 **]: The “Foreword” of the A.A. General Service Conference-approved book Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age (New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1957), found on (unnumbered) page xii, titled “The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous: Recovery (p. 51), Unity (p. 79), Service (p. 139),” states that that section of the book (i.e., “Part II”) presents edited transcripts of three major public talks A.A. cofounder Bill W. gave at A.A.’s International Convention—i.e., its twentieth anniversary celebration—in St. Louis in July 1955.
The second part of the A.A. General Service Conference-approved book Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, titled “[Part] II. The Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous,” found on pages 139ff., includes “three talks, edited and enlarged, on the history of A.A. Recovery, Unity, and Service, which were given by co-founder Bill W. at the St. Louis gathering.”
During Bill W.’s major talk on “Service,” given on Sunday, July 3, 1955—the third and final day of the St. Louis international convention—Bill stated:
“Just before the manuscript was finished an event of great significance for our future took place. At the time it looked like just another battle over the book. The scene was Henry’s [i.e., Henry (Hank) P.’s] office in Newark, where most of the writing had been done. Present were Fitz, Henry, our grand little secretary Ruth, and myself. We were still arguing about the Twelve Steps. All this time I had refused to budge on these steps. I would not change a word of the original draft, in which, you will remember, I had consistently used the word ‘God,’ and in one place the expression ‘on our knees’ was used. Praying to God on one’s knees was still a big affront to Henry. He argued, he begged, he threatened. He quoted Jimmy [i.e., Jim (Jimmy) B.] to back him up. He was positive we would scare off alcoholics by the thousands when they read those Twelve Steps. Little by little both Fitz and Ruth came to see merit in his contentions. Though at first I would have none of it, we finally began to talk about the possibility of compromise. Who first suggested the compromise words I do not know . . . In Step Two we decided to describe God as a ‘Power greater than ourselves.’ In Steps Three and Eleven we inserted the words ‘God as we understood Him.’ From Step Seven we deleted the expression ‘on our knees.’ . . .
Such were the final concessions to those of little or no faith; this was the great contribution of our atheists and agnostics. . . .
God was certainly there in our Steps, but He was now expressed in terms that . . .” [Emphasis (i.e., bolding) added]
{Although the change in wording from “God” to “a Power greater than ourselves” in Step Two, and the change in wording from “God” to “God as we understood Him” in Step Three, had already been made by the time copies of the prepublication manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous (better known as the “Multilith Edition” or the “Original Manuscript”) were sent around the country in mid-February 1939, Step Eleven still read “God” (without the modifying words “as we understood Him” following it) at that time.
[See The Book That Started It All: The Original Working Manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous (Center City, MN: Hazelden, 2010), p. 59; and “The Original Manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous”: http://www.silkworth.net/originalmanuscript/chapter5.html#howitworks; accessed 12/16/12.]}
Dick B. on Recovery Blog 