Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous (eBook)

Chapter Two - Mentors Who Influenced the Oxford Group's Founder

Some highly respected theologians, educators, and evangelists influenced the life-changing ideas of Oxford Group founder, Dr. Frank N. D. Buchman. Peter Howard, Buchman's successor, described life-changing as an "art," and said, "The art of changing men is ageless."1 Buchman preferred to say of his own work, "It is not my art. It is God's art."2

In writing the popular Oxford Group book, For Sinners Only,

A. 1. Russell suggested that Buchman's "house-party religion" had been grounded in, but had departed from, "old-time evangelists," "old-fashioned evangelicals," and "old-fashioned revivalism."3 Russell said the Oxford Group preferred the word "Change" to what he said "old-fashioned evangelicals" called "conversion."4 "Those who sought to change others were called 'Life-Changers' instead of evangelists," he said (emphasis added). 5 He added that Oxford Group people felt the new age required different words and less music, saying, "They believed that such phrases as 'Are you saved?' were unintelligible to the average man.,,6

Buchman himself, however, seemed to make very little effort to distance Oxford Group ideas and practices from those of the evangelists and religious leaders of the 19th Century who inspired him. As we will see, many of Buchman's most commonly used words and phrases were those made popular by his 19th Century mentors. And a number of "old-fashioned" evangelists and revivalists did make their mark on Frank Buchman and the Oxford Group. More important, perhaps, a number of religious leaders, Bible scholars, theologians, and professors-who cannot be written off as "old-fashioned" or unduly impassioned-also made their contributions to the thinking of Frank Buchman and the Oxford Group's principles and practices.

Dr. Horace Bushnell

One of the Oxford Group mentors least mentioned in present-day accounts of the Oxford Group is Yale divinity professor, Dr. Horace Bushnell.? We begin with Bushnell, not claiming that Bushnell himself was the originator of some very important ideas that influenced Frank Buchman, but rather that Bushnell was the first prestigious Christian writer, in point of time, who was quoted by Oxford Group people as a source for Oxford Group ideas.

Dr. Bushnell wrote much on the God of the Scriptures as Creator, a God of love, and a God who cares. In 1868, in his book, The New Life, Bushnell wrote eloquently of this God of love and the paternal love of God. 8 Though the Biblical idea that God has a plan was apparently not original with Bushnell, he seems to have authored the Oxford Group's use of that phrase.9 The first chapter of Bushnell's The New Life is titled, "Every Man's Life a Plan of God" (pp. 1-15). Oxford Group writers and their mentors quoted Bushnell for this concept. 10

Bushnell's writings discussed conviction, conversion, surrender of self, being born again, obedience, getting rid of self-will, unselfishness, and the concept of willingness found in John 7: 17.11 And Oxford Group writers referred to him as one of the sources of these and a number of the other ideas in which they believed. 12 Ideas which can be found today in Buchman's teachings and in A.A.'s literature and principles. 13

Evangelist Dwight L. Moody

Dwight L. Moody was born February 5, 1837, and died December 22, 1899. His life touched that of Oxford Group Founder, Frank Buchman, in a number of different ways. And there are a number of parallel ideas which Moody and Buchman both shared and which point to the Moody influence. 14

For one thing, there was the way Moody thought of the Bible and what should be done with its message. Moody held "tenaciously to the Bible as the inspired Word of God," stating: "Take the Bible; study it . . . feed on the Word . . . pass on the message. "15 Buchman often said of Bible study, "Read accurately, interpret honestly, apply drastically." 16 Buchman also said, "Read it through. Pray it in. Write it down. Work it out. Pass it on." 17 The "pass it on" idea was used by Buchman in other contexts. He said, for example, "The best way to keep an experience of Christ is to pass it on." 18 And it is not unreasonable to assume that the Buchman "pass it on" expression impacted upon the common use of "pass it on" language in A.A.19 Moody and Buchman were both evangelists. 20 James Findlay called Moody the most widely heralded representative of evangelical Protestantism after 1870 ... a "professional revivalist. "21 Findlay also made these additional comments about Moody:

Jesus as the Christ stood as the divine instrument by which individuals were brought to God and transformed into the people of faith.... The dealings of God compel men to turn to the man Christ Jesus for sympathy, to the Savior Christ Jesus for atonement and pardon, to the intercessor Christ Jesus for an answer to prayer, and to the glorified Christ for an heavenly inheritance (p. 231).22

Moody (chose) to place himself alongside those who stressed primarily the efficacy of God's love as saving power over men (p. 236).23

The were other comments by Findlay about Moody's beliefs. And these beliefs seem to have appealed to Buchman. Findlay said:

There appeared to be three steps to salvation. First, one had to be "convicted" of sin; that is, one must become conscious of wrongdoing. Conviction was followed by repentance-turning face to face with God. It was only one short step into the circle of faith, by believing in Christ and accepting him as a personal savior. This was the act of regeneration (p. 239).24

Moody was "saturated" with Scripture, in its spirit and aim. The Bible is continually in his hands. He believed that the Bible not only claims a Divine authority for all of its teachings, but vindicates its own claims .... When you read the Bible, the Word of God talks to you.... There are depths in the Bible no one, however acute his theology, can sound (pp. 257-58).25

Through the years Moody remained firm in his advocacy of . the verbally inspired Bible .... [ He said:] I cannot understand what these people mean who come to me and say that they cannot believe in the Old Testament, but can believe in the New. Now, both Testaments come from the Lord, and both are entitled to the same credence .... If you can't rely on this book, what can you rely on? (p. 409).16

Moody founded his Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 1889.27 Traces of Moody's beliefs can certainly be found in the words and practices of Oxford Group Founder, Frank Buchman. And will appear as we move along.

As shown, Moody held to verbal inspiration of the Bible, and so did Buchman. 28 Moody urged "Crucify the great 'I. "'29 This expression can be found in Frank Buchman's speeches and in Oxford Group books.30 Moody presented the 32nd Psalm as seven words: Conviction, Confession, Forgiveness, Prayer, Protection, Guidance, Joy. 31 And these words also have counterparts in Oxford Group language-particularly in Frank Buchman's Five C's-Confidence, Confession, Conviction, Conversion, and Conservation. 32 Moody propounded two other ideas which later were of extreme importance in Oxford Group ideology. They concerned honest sharing and restitution. Moody said:

If you have ever taken money dishonestly, you need not pray God to forgive you and fill you with the Holy Ghost until you make restitution. Confession and restitution are the steps that lead to forgiveness

And by what means did Moody influence Buchman, either through his writings and beliefs, or in other ways? First of all, Buchman actually met Moody at the Northfield Student Conference in Massachusetts, in 1901. Moody had founded the conference which was then run by John R. Mott, the Assistant General Secretary of the YMCA. Buchman said the visit "completely changed his life" in that he there decided that winning people to Christ must be his main objective in life. 34

Moody touched Buchman's life in another way through Buchman's mentor, Professor Henry Wright of Yale Divinity School. While lecturing at Hartford Seminary, Buchman attended Wright's lectures at Yale. On the wall of Wright's lecture room, Buchman was confronted with Moody's words:

The world has yet to see what God can do in, for, by and through a man whose will is wholly given up to Him.35

Wright began all lectures with two minutes of silent consideration of Moody's words. Then Wright would say, "Will you be that man? Will you be that man?" Wright would always link this challenge by Moody with the Bible verse, "I, if 1 be lifted up, will draw all men unto me" [See John 12:32]. Buchman said of those sessions, "It took me six weeks until 1 came to absolute conviction and yielded myself to that principle." Buchman's biographer, Garth Lean, said Buchman then made a profound commitment to break out from a narrow to a universal conception of Christianity. Lean also believed Buchman then acquired the quality in Buchman that showed, according to Henry van Dusen of Union Theological Seminary, that Buchman was in the tiny company of men who have known themselves to be summoned to the surrender of all to the exacting demand of the Divine Will. 36

Moody also exerted an indirect influence on Buchman through Buchman's other mentors, Professor Henry Drummond of Edinburgh and Professor Henry B. Wright of Yale. Historian Walter Houston Clark observed:

The most important source of the [Oxford] Group's ideas and practices was the American collegiate evangelism of the early twentieth century, when Buchman was at Penn State and Hartford Seminary, and until 1922, when he severed connections with institutions and pursued his way alone. The particular tide of...