Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Twelve Step Addiction Recovery Groups: An American Religious Movement, James Shoopman

Publications

This dissertation argues that Twelve Step addiction recovery groups, modelled on Alcoholics Anonymous, are an American religious movement, deserving a place in American religion scholarship.

Chapter one argues that Twelve step groups are not a religious "institution," but a social movement, working for recovery from addiction. Secondarily and functionally they constitute a religious movement, working for change in the way people experience spiritual life.

Chapter Two shows that the original Twelve Step fellowship, Alcoholics Anonymous, developed a methodology for overcoming addiction to alcohol which they described as a "spiritual way of life." Chapter Three shows that AA borrowed methods and …