Portrait of the founder of Moral Re-Armament.

Portrait of the founder of Moral Re-Armament.

The Spiritual Vision of Frank Buchman is an in-depth look at the life, spirituality, and ideology of one of the most original figures in twentieth-century religion. Frank Buchman (1878–1961), the Pennsylvania-born initiator of the movement known as the Oxford Group and Moral Re-Armament, was a Lutheran pastor who first had influence as a college evangelist and missionary with the YMCA. His thinking then evolved during the 1930s, the Second World War, and the early Cold War as he tried to develop a world philosophy that could offer an answer to war and materialism. His impact was particularly felt in the areas of conflict resolution between nations and interfaith dialogue, and Alcoholics Anonymous also owed much to his methods. Philip Boobbyer’s book is the first scholarly overview of Buchman’s ideas and is an important addition to the growing corpus of academic literature on his worldwide outreach. Boobbyer shows how his work reflected broader processes in twentieth-century religion and politics and can be seen as a spiritual response to an emerging global society.

The definitive work on Frank Buchman's Oxford Group and its links to Alcoholics Anonymous in New York and Akron. The 28 spiritual Oxford Group principles that impacted on A.A. are, for the first time, laid out for all to compare with A.A.

Dick B. is today regarded as the leading A.A. historian. He is a writer, Bible student, retired attorney, and active recovered member of the A.A. fellowship. He has brought to the history table: (1) His strong belief in the Creator, Christianity, and the Bible as the main source book for truth. (2) His long and fervent work with newcomers in helping them to overcome their alcoholism with the power of God. (3) His talents in writing and research that emerged from his work at the University of California where he received a Phi Beta Kappa key, his editorship of the Stanford Law Review, and his vigorous practice in writing and presenting legal briefs before many many courts. This mid-point treatise had been followed by and added up to 33 A.A. history titles so far. This book is foundational.