In 1908 Buchman, an American Lutheran minister of Swiss descent who was the originator of Initiatives of Change, had a spiritual experience of release from bitterness in crucial relationships that altered the course of his life. - This new book opens with Archie Mackenzie's answer to the young man who asked him, "Why is Frank Buchman important?" - followed by 19 chapters that have been contributed by 33 committed carriers of his legacy.

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.

Explores the main ideas of Pennsylvania-born religious leader Frank Buchman (1878-1961), his work in the movement known as the Oxford Group and Moral Re-Armament, and his enduring legacy in the areas of peace-building and interfaith understanding.