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Article Index
The Four Absolutes: Still More Revealed
Rev. Almond's Foundations for Faith
The Picture as AA Developed
All Pages

The articles are designed to give you accurate information concerning the origin of the absolutes in Speer's book The Principles of Jesus; their expansion in Wright's book The Will of God and a Man's Lifework; their adoption in the writings of Dr. Frank Buchman, Rev. Sam Shoemaker, and other Oxford Group writers; and their use in Akron's first A.A. group as explained by Dr. Bob, his wife Anne Smith, and the AA of Akron pamphlets of the early days. Furthermore, unless you have knowledge of the sources in the Bible from which the Absolutes were taken by Dr. Speer, Professor Wright, Frank Buchman, and the others, you will simply be looking at a lot of individual and diverse opinions–"opinions" being idea that don't always find great favor in the A.A. community. The early saying about them was: "Give me news, not views."

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This is the concluding article in my series on the Four Absolutes. You can get the full picture as I researched and wrote it by reading three of my titles:

1. The Oxford Group & Alcoholics Anonymous: A Design for Living that Works
2. New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A. (2d ed.)
3. Anne Smith's Journal, 1933-1939: A.A.'s Principles of Success

Let's Start with Professor Henry B. Wright's Book

Our Oxford Group/A.A. friend, Rev. T. Willard Hunter, wrote that Professor Wright of Yale probably had more influence on Oxford Group Founder Dr. Frank N.D. Buchman than anyone other than Buchman's own mother. Wright's key book was The Will of God and A Man's Lifework (New York: Association Press, 1924). It was copyrighted in 1909. Its studies were originally prepared by laymen to meet the needs of students in the Association Bible Classes for Seniors of the Academic and Scientific Departments of Yale University. Wright's title is a classic for one who wants to know the origin of the many Oxford Group ideas Frank Buchman borrowed from Wright.

Wright begins his book with a chapter on the will of God. Then he quotes Jesus and the Apostles on the subject. Then he quotes varied verses in the Bible and statements by early thinkers like Professors Horace Bushnell, Henry Drummond, and William James. He dwells at length on the principle of absolute surrender of self, the relationship of surrender of self to spiritual experiences, the decision to do God's will, the concept of willingness, the universal will of God as found in the Bible, and the "Particular Will of God for Each Individual Man."

Then comes his presentation of the "Four Touchstones of Jesus and the Apostles." Wright begins with the verse in 1 Thessalonians 4:3: "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification... ." Continuing these theme in Thessalonians, Wright defines God's injunctions: (1) Purity–1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 - abstaining from fornication, possessing your vessel in sanctification and honour, and not in the lust of concupiscence. (2) Honesty–1 Thessalonians 4:6–"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter. (3) Unselfishness–1 Thessalonians 4:11-13–peaceableness, etc. (4) Love–1 Thessalonians 4:9-10–"for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."

Then Wright discusses the absolutes in detail. As to "absolute purity," Wright quotes from Bushnell, Speer, and the Bible; and he plunges into the specific verses dealing with being "pure in heart," and abstaining from fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, adultery and foul stories. And you can find Dr. Bob himself referring to these same sins. Wright takes a similar approach as to "absolute honesty" (dealing with cribbing, sharp dealing, lying, disclosing of confidences, and exaggeration). So too "absolute unselfishness" (speaking of denying one's self; avoiding bitterness, wrath, and anger; being kind, tenderhearted, forgiving, peaceable, gentle; and eschewing envy, greed, and lawlessness). Finally comes his discussion of "absolute love" (quoting so many of the verses in the Bible on love). The point is that Professor Wright did not wing it when it came to defining the "absolute" standards of Jesus. He went straight to the Bible and quoted what the Word of God had to say on each subject. Therein lies the value and importance of his writing.

Bill Wilson seemed to have lots of trouble with the "absolutes." He emphasized in his Big Book that "we are not saints" and "we claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection." He just plain ignored the four absolutes as such. But this seems the product of guilt about his own womanizing and profiteering, rather than disdain for the principles themselves. And he would have done well to repeat explicitly what Professor Wright had to say about falling short:

Disobedience is a deliberate, voluntary transgression of purity, honesty, unselfishness, or love; the refusal (not necessarily the failure) to obey one's conviction of the right [Wright, The Will of God, supra, p.223].

After the dedication, the truly surrendered man has made a contract with God to be always pure, always honest, always unselfish, always loving in deeds of self-expression; he may fail now and then, but he corrects his mistake as soon as he realizes it and presses on, so the channel is always open. Through compelling convictions of purity, honesty, unselfishness or service, which his vow requires him to translate at once into action, he can now be led into fields of provision and out of paths of danger [Wright, supra, p. 251].

Dr. Bob said to the end of his life that he felt the Four Absolutes were important and were "yardsticks" for testing appropriate behavior. I personally do not find the Big Book itself compromising on the importance of honesty, unselfishness, and love. Moreover, the Big Book's remarks on its restitution steps and on the Tenth Step call for picking yourself up, correcting your mistakes, and seeing what can be done to improve things by following spiritual principles.

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