Of probably even greater importance (than the Sermon) in the day-by-day thinking of early A.A. was the Book of James. It was much studied by A.A.’s co-founders. Quotes and ideas from the Apostle James can be found throughout the Big Book and in A.A. literature. The Book of James was considered so important that many favored calling the A.A. fellowship the James Club (DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers, p. 71; Pass It On, p. 147). And even the most fundamental phrases in A.A., such as It Works and Bill Wilson’s own Works Publishing Company (which published the First Edition of the Big Book), probably have their origin in the Faith without works is dead phrases in the Book of James (See: Nell Wing, Grateful to Have Been There, pp. 70-71).

Let’s therefore review the Book of James, chapter by chapter. As we do so, we will point to traces of that book which we believe can be found in, or probably influenced the text of, the Big Book. At the outset, we would report that as our research into the Biblical roots of A.A. has progressed, so has our understanding of some root sources that previously went unnoticed.

For example, some time back, Dr. Bob’s son, Robert R. Smith, told the author by phone that his father had placed great stake in The Runner’s Bible. We had encountered difficulty locating a copy. And we were still looking for some commentary on the Book of James similar to the many on the sermon on the mount (by Oswald Chambers, Glenn Clark, Emmet Fox, and E. Stanley Jones) and on 1 Corinthians 13 (by Henry Drummond, for example). And Dr. Bob extensively studied and circulated most of these among the Pioneers. We believed such above-mentioned commentaries probably impacted upon the thinking of Dr. Bob, Anne, Henrietta, and the early AAs just as the actual Bible verses in Matthew chapters 5-7 and 1 Corinthians 13 have.

But we could find no similar commentary that the pioneers used with the Book of James, despite A.A.’s specific emphasis on James. Finally, as we studied the spiritual literature early AAs read, we noticed in The Runner’s Bible the frequency with which all the books and chapters that Dr. Bob called absolutely essential (Matthew chapters 5-7, 1 Corinthians 13, and James) were there mentioned. We particularly noticed the frequency with which The Runner’s Bible mentioned and discussed verses from the Book of James. Hence our reader will find many references to The Runner’s Bible in the footnotes of our title The Good Book and The Big Book; for we believe that the little Runner’s devotional book may have provided Dr. Bob, Anne Smith, and perhaps even Bill Wilson, with much of the fodder that caused them to focus on James and conclude that James was their favorite book of the Bible.

In a phone conversation with the author in 1995, from his home in Texas, Dr. Bob’s son stated he felt it would be almost impossible for him, at this late date, to confirm that The Runner’s Bible was the source of either A.A.’s or its founders’ emphasis on James or other parts of the Bible. But he pointed out that the little Biblical devotional book was used by those who wanted a quick and easy source for Biblical ideas in which they were interested. Perhaps, then, that book became a reference source for Dr. Bob, Anne, and even Bill Wilson when they were studying the pertinent Biblical ideas they extracted from 1 Corinthians 13, the Sermon on the Mount, and particularly James. Now let’s look at the chapters in James–one by one.

1. Patience. Chapter One is not the only chapter in the Book of James which mentions patience. Nor is it the only portion of the Bible that stresses patience. But we’ve noted that James was a favored Biblical source in early A.A., and James 1:3-4 do state:

Patience certainly wound up as one of the most frequently mentioned spiritual principles in the Big Book (pp. 67, 70, 83, 111, 118, 163).

2. Asking wisdom of God with unwavering believing. James 1:5-8 state:

Asking for God’s direction and strength and receiving Guidance from Him, are major themes in both the Old and New Testaments. They were important Oxford Group ideas as well. We therefore discussed them at length in our titles on the Oxford Group and on Anne Smith’s spiritual journal. Certainly the Big Book, including the Eleventh Step itself, is filled with such Guidance concepts (3^rd ed., pp.13, 46, 49, 62-63, 69-70, 76, 79-80, 83, 84-88, 100, 117, 120, 124, 158, 164).

3. Resisting temptation. It should surprise no one that AAs of yesteryear and of today are interested in resisting temptation, and having the power to do thatthe power of God. James 1:12-16 state:

[My personal view is that the foregoing verses offer much insight for the cure of alcoholism and other life-controlling afflictions. Man is to resist the devil–says James in a later verse. Man is to endure temptation when he is tried. When he is tempted, he cannot blame the temptation on God–who cannot be tempted and does not tempt. He can be tempted by being drawn away of his own lust and enticed. James 3:15-16 speaks of a wisdom [that] descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish. And, says James, when the enticement results in lustful [and excessive] thoughts and behavior [such as getting drunk and drunkenness], it can and should be recognized as sin, and sin as the producer of death. For the real alcoholic, the devilish thoughts must be expelled. The prescription is not merely to abstain from drinking and go to 12 Step meetings. The enjoined error occurs when the man fails to submit to God, resist the devil, humble himself in the sight of God, and appropriately believe to be lifted up and out by his Creator. 2 Corinthians 10:5 calls for casting down human reasoning and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. We are the ones to control the thoughts. 1 Corinthians 10:13 points out: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. To be cured, I believe, we need to recognize that temptation to disobey God is common, that thoughts about letting the temptation make a nest in our mind and motivate must be cast out. They need to be resisted. They need to be expelled. And we need to believe what God says–we are submit ourselves to God; resist the devil; and be assured that the devil will flee, that God will lift us up, and that we can escape and bear the temptation with the help of our faithful Creator.]

4. Every good and perfect gift comes from God, the Father of lights. James 1:17 states:

Bill seemed to be referring to this verse when he wrote on page 14 of Alcoholics Anonymous, 4^th ed.:

Bill made the same reference to God, the Father of lights, who presides over us all, in Appendix I of Alcoholics Anonymous, 4^th ed.:

The Him who presides over us all was, of course, James 1:17's Father of lights– the Creator Yahweh, our Almighty God.

5. Let every man be slow to speak, slow to wrath. James 1:19-20 state:

The same verse is quoted in The Runner’s Bible and seems quite relevant to the Big Book’s

injunction, If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. . . . God save me from being angry (Fourth Edition, pp. 66-67).

6. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. James 1:21-22 state:

Reverend Sam Shoemaker made this comment on the foregoing:

In the same chapter, Shoemaker also pointed out that prayer is often more a struggle to find God than the enjoyment of Him and cooperation with His will. He added that God is and is a Rewarder of them that seek Him. (See The Gospel According to You, p. 47; and Heb. 11:6).

We cannot find specific or similar language to that of James 1:21-22 in the Big Book; but A.A. declares over and over that A.A. is a program of action, that probably no human power can relieve a person of his alcoholism, and That God could and would if He were sought (p. 60). A.A.’s program emphasizes action in the experiment of faith it adopted from John 7:17seeking God by following the path that leads to a relationship with God. James 1:22 enjoins doing God’s will as expressed in His Wordnot merely listening to it. James was an Akron favorite. Shoemaker was a Wilson favorite. Faith without works was a Big Book favorite; and it therefore seems quite reasonable to believe and possible that A.A.’s emphasis on action might well have derived in part from James 1:21-22.

7. Pure religion and undefiled before God . . . to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. James 1:27 states:

At the very least, this verse bespeaks unselfishness and helpfulness to others which were cardinal A.A. principles–particularly the principles embodied in Step Twelve. In fact, that’s the point made in one of early A.A.’s pamphlets:

Chapter Two of the Book of James may have made two direct and major contributions to the language of the Big Book and also to A.A.’s philosophy. Those two contributions were Love thy neighbor as thyself and Faith without works is dead.

1. Love thy neighbor as thyself. James 2:8 states:

This commandment to Love thy neighbor exists in other parts of both the Old and New Testaments. Thus, when the Big Book incorporated this phrase, there is no assurance that the quote is from James rather than from another Bible verse to the same effect (e.g., Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14). But the Big Book certainly does state:

The Book of James is very probably the specific source of this Biblical quote since Dr. Bob, early AAs, and Bill Wilson himself spoke with such frequency about love and tolerance as the code of A.A. and the Book of James as their favorite book.

2. Faith without works is dead. Said to be the favorite verse of Anne Smith and perhaps the origin of many expressions in A.A. concerning works, this sentence, or variations of it, appears several times in Chapter Two of the Book of James. For example, James 2:20 states:

Faith without works as a phrase, and as an A.A. action concept, is quoted or referred to many times in the Big Book (4^th ed., pp. 14-15, 76, 88, 93, 97). A.A.’s original Oxford Group connection also put emphasis on these James verses, using them in connection with the importance of witnessing.

3. Helping Others. It hardly requires citation or documentation to state that A.A.’s cardinal objective is to help others. And this service concept is underlined in Chapter 2 of James, beginning with verses 1 to 7. James 2:15-16 state this principle very well:

And every alcoholic who has helped one of his miserable, suffering, destitute brothers in need will instantly relate to those verses and hence to the importance of James to the early AAs.

4. The Ten Commandments. Again! James 2:10-11 state:

[Whatever one may find in today’s A.A., he will find language about and references to the Ten Commandments with great frequency in early A.A. The Frank Amos report of 1938, quoted in this talk, is a good example.]

1. Taming the tongue. In his Farewell Address to A.A., Dr. Bob said:

A major portion of James chapter 3 is devoted to the trouble that can be caused by an untamed tongue. Following are a few verses emphasizing the point:

These verses are not quoted in the Big Book. But Anne Smith referred to them frequently in her journal, as did other A.A. roots sources (Dick B., Anne Smith’s Journal, pp. 28, 44, 76, 77; Holm, The Runner’s Bible, p. 68). But, in paraphrasing those verses, Dr. Bob seemed to be speaking of the necessity for tolerance, courtesy, consideration, and kindness in our speech and actions. James makes clear that good conversation should be a focusconversation, we believe, that is laced with consideration, kindness, and tolerance (See James 3:13). And these latter principles are very much in evidence in the Big Book (4^th ed., pp. 67, 69-70, 83-84, 97, 118, 125, 135).

2. Avoidance of envy, strife, and lying. James 3:14-16 proclaim that a heart filled with envy, strife, and lies has not received that kind of wisdom from God, but rather from devilish sources. The verses state:

Envy is not as much decried in the Big Book as jealousy; but a more modern translation of these King James verses equates envy with jealousy (The Revised English Bible, New Testament, p, 208). And the Big Book most assuredly condemns jealously (4^th ed., pp. 37, 69, 82, 100, 119, 145, 161). In fact, the Big Book states as to jealousy and envy:

And as to strife, the Big Book states:

James 3:17-18 talk much about making peace and the fruit of righteousness being sown in peace of them that make peace.

As seen in the quote from James 3:14, lying and dishonesty are also declared to be devilish; and one should note and compare the Big Book’s frequent emphasis on grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty (p. 58). As to all the verses in James 3:14-16, however, there is little certainty that these particular verses were an exclusive or even major source for the Big Books condemnation of envy, jealousy, strife, and dishonesty because all these traits are stated to be objectionable by many other parts of the Bible.

1. Asking amiss for selfish ends. A.A.’s writings have much to say about overcoming selfishness and self-centeredness. But the following in James 4:3 particularly eschews selfishness in prayer:

Several Christian A.A. sources that were favorites of Dr. Bob’s discuss this verse at length. And the Big Book authors may therefore have borrowed from James 4:3, in this statement:

2. Humility. The Book of James has no corner on the Biblical injunction to be humble. But the importance of James, and the remarks of Reverend Sam Shoemaker (quoted under Item 3 immediately below) suggest that the following verses from James may have been a source of the Big Book’s frequent mention of humility. James 4:7, 10 state:

The Big Book’s Fourth Edition is filled with exhortations to be humble, with stress on humbling one’s self before God, and with suggestions for humbly asking His help. Examples include:

3. Trusting God and cleaning house. James 4:8 states:

The Big Book says on page 98 of the Fourth Edition:

And, in language closely paralleling that in James 4:8, the Big Book says further that one can establish conscious companionship with God by simply, honestly, and humbly seeking and drawing near to Him:

In Step Seven, the Big Book relates cleaning house of one’s character defects to humbly asking God to remove them. The foregoing verses in James, which speak of drawing near to God, cleansing our hearts, humbling ourselves in His sight, and then being lifted up by God, appear to have been directly involved in framing the Big Book’s Seventh Step language. In fact, many years after the Big Book was written, Sam Shoemaker thus clarified his understanding of the Seventh Step, in a 1964 issue of the AA Grapevine:

4. Taking your own inventory. James 4:11-12 state:

We discussed the Fourth Step idea of taking your own inventory in connection with the relevant verses in the Sermon on the Mount–which were often quoted by Oxford Group people and by Anne Smith (See Matt. 7:1-5). But the Big Book also speaks of: (1) looking for our own mistakes, (2) asking Where were we to blame, and (3) realizing, The inventory was ours, not the other man’s. Considering the importance to AAs of the Book of James and its insights, the foregoing James verses probably also had an impact on the A.A. idea of avoiding judgment of another and focusing on an examination of one’s own conduct when it comes to wrongdoing.

1. Patience. We discussed A.A.’s patience principle as having probably derived from James, Chapter One. As we said, however, important stress on patience can be found in James 5:7, 8, 10, 11.

2. Grudges (covered in A.A.’s 4^th Step resentment inventory process). James 5:9 reads:

A major portion of the Big Book’s Fourth Step discussion is devoted to resentment, about which page 64 says:

The Big Book then suggests putting resentments on papermaking a grudge list (pp. 64-65). Oxford Group spokesman Ebenezer Macmillan wrote at length in his title Seeking and Finding about eliminating resentments, hatred, or the grudge that blocks God out effectively. Rev. Sam Shoemaker also specified grudges as one of the sins to be examined in an inventory of self (Shoemaker, Twice-Born Ministers, p. 182). Since the Big Book lists resentments or

grudges as one of the four major character defects which block us from God, it quite possible that the grudge language in the Big Book was influenced by James, and perhaps specifically by James 5:9.

3. Asking God’s forgiveness for sins. We repeat James 5:15, which was partially quoted above. The entire verse says:

The Big Book says this about asking God’s forgiveness when we fall short:

The foregoing Big Book quotes show that, even after their initial surrender, wrongdoers may still, in A.A.’s view, seek and receive God’s forgiveness for shortcomings indulged after the initial surrender. Here again, James has no corner on the statement that God makes it possible, through forgiveness, for a believer to regain fellowship with Him. The following in 1 John 1:9 may also have been a source of such Big Book ideas:

See also our discussion of forgiveness in connection with the Sermon on the Mount. It is fair to say, however, that the Book of James, 1 John, or Matthew could each, or all, have been the basis for the Big Book forgiveness concept.

4. Confess your sins one to another. It has often been noted that both the Oxford Group concept of sharing by confession and Step Five in the Big Book were derived from James 5:16:

5. Effectual, fervent prayer works. James 5:16 states:

A.A.’s Big Book Fourth Edition says:

James 5:16 could well have been a major basis for the Big Book comments on the effectiveness of prayer.

One A.A. writer, who was sponsored by Clarence Snyder, has repeatedly suggested that in their surrenders, early AAs almost literally followed the foregoing verses from James. Others, who also were sponsored by Clarence Snyder, have said this contention is in error. But several comments should be made about this procedure. First, there seems little confirmation that Dr. Bob, T. Henry Williams, and the Akron pioneers took the newcomer upstairs, had him surrender to Christ, anointed him with oil, and prayed for him. Second, many of the elements of the James verses were followed. Third, in his later years, Clarence Snyder founded and conducted retreats for AAs and their families which are still being held. At these retreats, there is a prayer and praise session where there is anointing with oil and prayer for those in need. The sessions follow the close of the retreat itself. Finally, we make particular mention of these points because so many of the healing practices of the Christian church throughout later centuries did rely on the words of St. James and did heal with the laying on of hands and anointing with oil. These points are amply covered by the citation in our healing section. They are important because the convictions about healing and cure were so evident and strong in early A.A.; and the return of healing emphasis–whatever the technique or Biblical authority–is urgently needed in today’s Twelve Step programs.

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