1. How Religious are Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous?
Dr Wendy Dossett
Principal Investigator: The Higher Power Project
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
University of Chester
Recovery from Addiction:
Bridging the Gap between Policy and Practice
April 29th 2014

2. Richard Dawkins (Prominent Atheist) Michaelangelo’s God (sort of)

4. Three mistakes to avoid in Religious Studies
Assuming the text = the tradition
Assuming the earliest version of the tradition is the correct/orthodox version
Assuming the default ‘secular is normal’

5. Higher Power Project findings to date
Data from more than 80 participants (to date) who describe themselves as practicing a12-Step Programme (with 6 months + continuous clean time/sobriety) Of the 65 so far processed:
Single membership AA NA
Al-Anon - 2
Double membership
AA & NA
AA & Al-Anon 4
AA & GA
NA & CA
Multiple membership
AA, OA & Al-Anon 1
AA, CA,OA, NA
AA, OA, ACA

6. ‘Spiritual but not Religious’
(Fuller, 2001)
SBNR

7. Keith, atheist
‘With one or two exceptions people accept my viewpoint, many agree with it and are more inclined to acknowledge their own lack of religious belief when someone like myself, with long term sobriety, demonstrates that it is possible to combine atheism, (or agnosticism), with the AA programme. I use an adapted version of the 12 steps which does not mention God. I have two sponsors, one a devout practising Roman Catholic and the other a high-church Anglican; both of them accept my views and do not love me any the less.’

8. GOD
Gift of Despair
Group of Drunks/Druggies
Good Orderly Direction

9. Ian
[…] I hated the f**ker. All the bad things that had happened to me in my life were his […] fault. And this being the God I was brought up on. Catholic. I’m pleased to say I’ve been able to separate God from religion.
Interesting but anecdotal reflection on some of the Catholics – their HP and the God of their religion are different.

10. Ben
‘[…]I describe God in the feminine because my concept of ‘life-giver’ is purported to the feminine of all species I know of[…]’

11. Jennifer
“I don't consider a Higher Power to be a personal being — anthropomorphic — nor an intelligent puppeteer in the sky directing the show. I do not conceive of HP as a santa god who rewards the good and punishes the naughty. Neither do I see this force as working for some and not others as in “There but for the Grace of God go I.”

12. Jennifer
‘I toss out the personal god language or the maleness […] and replace those words with GRACE or LOVE.’

13. Sophia
‘Ricky Gervais is a well known Atheist and I've read what he has written on the subject. Also Stephen Fry, David Mitchel and Germaine Greer are all people I'm interested in so I've listened to what they've said about Religion / God, as well as discussing it with friends.’ ‘I've heard 'The Force' in Star Wars being compared to HP and I quite like that, I guess it had some influence.’ ‘The people in the fellowship have had a huge influence over my version of a HP, mainly by me not agreeing (for me) with a lot of HP versions I hear in AA. So by defining what my HP is NOT it has helped me define what it IS.’

14. Other sources of inspiration mentioned
The Lion King
The Dalai Lama
Star Wars
Babette’s Feast (Film)
A Course in Miracles
Les Miserables
The Dhammapada
Julian of Norwich
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Ken Wilbur
Eckhart Tolle
The Prophet Khalil Gibran
The Footprints prayer
‘Hazelden literature’
Co-dependent No More Beattie

15. especially to our participants
Thank You
especially to our participants
@higherpowerproj
If you would like to volunteer for the research
(& have six months clean time in 12-Step)
Please sign up at the HPP stand