A Dozen Steps

Dick B On Dr. Silkworth

by Mark on February 15th, 2007

From Dick B. on Dr. Silkworth;

“In the course of writing my two latest A.A. History titles – The Conversion of Bill W. and Introduction to The Sources and Founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, I had occasion to look much more deeply into the Silkworth/Wilson/A.A. links.

First, as to resources, there are none better for me than Dale Mitchel’s Silkworth: The Little Doctor Who Loved Drunks and the Silkworth website.

Second, because Mitchel dug into Silkworth family papers, we can see much more about the good doctor’s belief in healing by religious means.

Third, some of the newly unearthed facts are these: Silky belonged to Sam Shoemaker’s Calvary Episcopal Church in New York and also attended Norman Vincent Peale’s church; and as their friend also, he was privy to a good many religious ideas with which he inculcated Bill Wilson in the pre - ”hot flash” days at Towns Hospital. Silky was also conversant with the William James Varieties title which documented the many healings by conversion that had taken place in the missions over the years. Silky also appears to have been familiar with Carl Jung’s prescription of conversion as a cure for alcoholism.

Not only does history now flesh out these points; but the points themselves make clear how Bill Wilson’ first and foremost solution to the alcoholism problem was conversion. Bill’s grandfather Willie had been converted and healed of alcoholism. Bill was told by Dr. Silkworth that he could be cured by Jesus Christ, the Great Physician. Bill was told by Ebby that conversion was available at the altar at Calvary Rescue Mission, and Bill went there and made a decision for Christ – writing in two different places that he had “for sure been born again.”

Bill staggered on to Towns Hospital and declared that if there were a Great Physician, he’d better call on Him. And this he did – having a conversion experience almost identical to that which his grandfather had had years before – and with the same result: sober for life. Then, when both Silkworth and Lois Wilson confirmed to Bill that he had experienced a genuine conversion, Bill spent the rest of the day studying the William James book which had been given to him by either Ebby or Rowland.

Bill saw the many recorded instances of conversions and cure by the power of God; and he concluded that his own conversion was valid and established the validity of the solution Jung had prescribed for Rowland. The bottom line is that “conversion” became the A.A. solution – both in Bill’s mind as he expressed the idea on page 191 of the Big Book; and in Akron where surrender to Jesus Christ was a mandatory part of the A.A. program.

And what’s the point?

Well most AAs have never heard these historical points; most AAs have no realization that the Oxford Group expressions (spiritual experience and spiritual awakening) were Oxford Group expressions referring to dynamic life-change, whereas the conversion experience was what Carl Jung, Rowland Hazard, Ebby Thacher, Sam Shoemaker, Dr. Silkworth, and the Missions were tendering to drunks. And with great success.

I hope this new data will help correct so much of the confusion today about what a “spiritual experience” or a “spiritual awakening” are and exemplify how they differ from the original “conversion” experience that Bill had. For it was Bill’s conversion that topped the list of items that Bill was asked over the years to keep recounting.”

God Bless,

Dick B.

Thanks Dick… [it was waaaaaay too long for a simple comment :)]

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