As a fan of the Mockingbird
blog, over the past few months, I have seen occasional references to a book
written by John Zahl entitled Grace in Addiction: The Good News of
Alcoholics Anonymous for Everybody (2012).
As a Christian psychologist, this book piqued my curiosity. Certainly, addictions are of interest to
psychologists though many of us do not work intentionally or exclusively with
addicts. Furthermore, I confess that despite my knowing that Alcoholics
Anonymous (AA) has “a Big Book” and “12 steps”, I really did not know
much about it and I was hoping this book could shed some light.
Zahl is a recovering alcoholic and Episcopal minister. In
part, it seems that he wrote this book to examine the “wall of separation between
AA and the Christian church” (p. 16). Part
of the divide, it appears, is grounded in the relative emphases that are placed
upon a Christian’s ability to move toward God in many churches versus the sense
of powerlessness discussed in 12 step groups and certain strands of
Christianity, particularly Reformation Christianity. Throughout the book, Zahl tries to explore these
themes. For example, Zahl discusses the
concept of the “bound will” (p. 22), which Martin Luther addressed compellingly
in On the Bondage of the Will (1525). Though alcoholics are often deeply
aware of their bound wills, the problem is not isolated to addicts, but to all
people.
After brief introductory comments, the reader is introduced
to the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and similar redemptive groups. For
those unfamiliar with the 12 steps, this book provides a clear description of
each of them. Zahl does an admirable job of not only highlighting the steps,
but providing supportive narrative to help the reader more deeply understand
them. He then seeks to connect each of the steps to Christian theology.
It is probably important to clarify that AA, as Zahl
presents it, resonates more with a particular brand of theology—what might be
called a theology of the cross instead of a theology of glory. A theology of
the cross, commonly identified with Martin Luther, has to with the inability of
sinners to earn righteous standing before God whereas a theology of glory suggests
that people have some capacity, some goodness, within themselves that allow
them to be involved in their salvation. In fact, Zahl routinely cites the work
of Gerhard Forde, who described the theology of the cross in his excellent book
On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg
Disputation, 1518 (1997). For
example, on page 45, Zahl quotes Forde who wrote, “I use the analogy of
addiction throughout the [Forde’s] book in the attempt to demonstrate the
difference between the theologian of glory and the theologian of the cross.”
For Forde, like Zahl, the death of sin comes not from “optimistic exhortation” of
the believer but at the cross.
Building upon this idea while discussing Step 3 (i.e., made
a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we
understood Him), Zahl comments that “the ‘self-made’ idea is, at least if not ‘dangerous,’
still the very antithesis of spirituality” (p. 68). One of the persistent
themes that comes across is that AA encourages resting in God’s power rather
than in self. He then connects this
theme with Paul’s letter to the Galatians and with Augustine’s debate with
Pelagius. Both Paul and Augustine were,
Zahl suggests, arguing against the human ability to justify ourselves.
Zahl acknowledges that for some Christians this theology, or
this view of humanity, may seem too negative. He wrote “From the outside
looking in, then, AA would appear to have a more pessimistic view of the
spiritual life than most Christians are typically willing to acknowledge. AA
seem to embrace a more one-way, or monergistic, view of God’s work in the life
of a believer. Another of AA’s classic sayings is: ‘of myself I am nothing, the
Father doeth the work’” (p. 203). Indeed, one of the challenges that have been
raised against this resurgent interest in resting in our justification is that pursuit
of holiness may be downplayed, but Zahl is careful to point out that AA “is one
of the most lucid examples of the exact sort of change that many churches like
to advocate” (p. 203).
A second common theme in the world of 12 step groups is that
of confession. The 5th step
is: “we admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact
nature of our wrongs.” Experience would suggest that in many contemporary churches,
the role of confession is minimized despite exhortations to do so in the New
Testament (e.g., James 5:16). An
atmosphere that does not encourage confession contributes to persistence of
guilt and shame rather than absolution and a reminder of the grace we find in
Christ. Zahl makes the point that “in a
rather serious sense, therapy and counseling are contemporary expressions of this
confessional movement” (p. 118). As Christian psychologists, we would do well
to promote an environment of honest confession and to remind confessors of God’s
amazing willingness to forgive.
A third idea worth mentioning is that AA encourages the
development of love, honesty, and humility and that each of these virtues
contribute to sobriety. Certainly, these values also find their roots in
Christian morality. Lovingly pursuing others,
honest exchange and confession with others, and humbly serving others serves a
culture of individual and corporate growth.
Zahl concludes his book with a chapter on what Christian
churches and AA can learn from one another.
AA promotes a radical equality among its members—there is no place for
status. Subsequently, the same message
is given to newcomers and mature attendees. “In other words, the same hope that
gets you in, also keeps you in” (p. 241). Churches would do well to remind one
another of the hope that is only found in the cross, whether faced with
non-believers or those who have been Christians for decades.
Zahl adds that although the church has much to learn from
AA, “recovering alcoholics need the Church, too. Most importantly, the Church
has the story. The old, old story of ‘Jesus and his glory.’ The God of
salvation is a revelation, grounded in a very specific set of historical truths
that undergird and underline the spiritual realities that the addict has
experienced. God is more than a subjective truth—He is an objective reality”
(p. 254).
Grace in Addiction (2012) is very likely a different
book than many of the professional resources with which we typically interact. Having
said that, I think it is an important book and worth reading. One of Zahl’s main points—that the church
could learn from AA—comes across clearly. I would also hope the church may be
able to offer some correctives in return.
For example, the Big Book (i.e., the manual for AA) reportedly
says that “your wife may feel neglected” (p. 97) because of the amount of time,
resources, and energy you are investing in others. I would hope the church, as a redemptive
community of believers, could help one another understand where the balance is
between home life, work life, and helping struggling addicts.
On the whole, I would commend this book to Christian
psychologists, church leaders, and individual believers. It will likely provide a fuller understanding
of addicts, of 12 step groups, and of certain strains of Christian theology.
(Also published in Soul & Spirit, the newsletter for Society for Christian Psychology).
1 comment:
Thanks so much for this thoughtful review. I greatly appreciate it! If you would like to discuss any of the material please feel free to get in touch with me. John Zahl (one word) @ gmail dot com.
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