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A.A. History Brief: Oxford Group Principles

By Dick B.

© 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved

What the Oxford Group Principles Were

Many within and without the Oxford Group have endeavored to describe the principles of the Oxford Group. One Australian Oxford Group writer spoke of eight principles of the Group. Bill Wilson sometimes spoke of six “Steps” of the Oxford Group. But the idea that the Oxford Group had any “Steps”—let alone six—was dispelled by Oxford Group historian and activist T. Willard Hunter. And repudiation of this idea was finally publicized in A.A.’s own “Pass It On” (NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., 1984), 206 n.2.

Undaunted, Bill Wilson’s wife Lois spoke of some six “ideas.” Then one writer called on an anonymously-authored book by a non-Oxford Group writer and deduced that there were “four principles” and “four practices.” Finally, when I wrote my title, The Oxford Group & Alcoholics Anonymous: A Design for Living That Works (now in its third edition), I set forth some 28 ideas of the Oxford Group that had impacted on Alcoholics Anonymous. And this book and its view received the endorsement of a large number of experienced Oxford Group writers and optimists.

But history has also made possible a very explicit statement of the real Oxford Group “Principles,” as the Group people themselves characterized them. First, in the early 1920′s, Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, “a chief lieutenant” of the Oxford Group in America, asked his long-time friend (who was also a long-time associate of Oxford Group Founder Dr. Frank Buchman) to write a statement of the ideas. They were seven in number.

Accordingly, Shoemaker’s friend, Sherwood Sunderland Day, penned a short pamphlet, titled The Principles of the Group (Oxford, University Press, n.d.). Years later, Rev. Sam Shoemaker’s assistant minister, Rev. W. Irving Harris, wrote that Bill Wilson was familiar with those principles when he (Bill) later discussed formulation of the Twelve Steps with Rev. Shoemaker. Harris then summarized Sherwood Day’s seven Oxford Group principles in slightly-different language.

Actually, Dr. Bob’s wife, Anne Ripley Smith, discussed those seven Sherry Day principles in the personal journal she kept from 1933-1939, and also shared with early AAs and their families.

Comments about the Background and Words of Rev. Sherwood Day

First, the Oxford Group probably was founded about 1919 when Dr. Frank Buchman (its founder), Buchman’s mentor Professor Henry Wright, and Howard A. Walter collaborated to write what was the first Oxford Group book—Soul Surgery. Shortly thereafter, Frank Buchman gathered around him an informal group of young supporters who would join him in traveling about the world. Sam Shoemaker was one of the men. Sherry Day was another. And, though this group of men had no formal name, they called themselves “A First Century Christian Fellowship.” It was in this period that Buchman’s ideas—gathered through the years before—had become known to his “Fellowship” members.

Sherwood Sunderland Day’s The Principles of the Group

Sherwood Day began his pamphlet with the statement that the principles of the Oxford Group were the principles of the Bible. The statement and the principles are discussed and annotated accurately in Dick B., Anne Smith’s Journal, 1933-1939: A.A.’s Principles of Success, 3rd ed. Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998), 129-32.

Day said: “It is never possible to find Life—peace with God—victory—power by merely trying to follow out principle.” He said: “That life comes to one as a possession through but one gateway—a personal experience of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.” He said further that the Oxford Group was a life—that life which is hid in Christ with God; and that the following principles are revelations or pictures of what is bound to take place in any life that is surrendered to the Will of God (Dick B., Anne Smith, 130).

Day then set forth the following seven biblical principles—the principles of the Oxford Group:

God-guidance. Day said “guidance” meant “communion with our Father, the Living God . . . listening to God . . . two-way prayer . . . thinking God’s thoughts after Him” (Dick B., Anne Smith, 130).

Fearless dealing with sin. Day said: “The great fact of history is Jesus Christ, the second is the presence of sin.” He said the Bible frankly faces the fact of sin and offers a cure. He said Jesus Christ faced men honestly and fearlessly, gave them courage to do the same with themselves, and then showed them the way out (Dick B., Anne Smith, 130).

Sharing: Day said: “A sharing Christian is a propagating Christian.” He said: “sharing,” as used by the Group, covered two distinct things: (1) confession, and (2) witness. Quoting James 5:16, Day said it was necessary to “confess your faults one to another.” He then said sharing, or witnessing, was necessary in helping others. It established confidence because the person confessed to know that the confessor had been through a like experience (Dick B., Anne Smith, 131).

The necessity for adequate, intelligent, expressional activity. Day urged: “a God-guided, released life with constant outgo into the lives of needy people” (Dick B., Anne Smith, 131).

Stewardship. Day pointed out “that He who bought us with a  price owns us and all that He has entrusted to us. On such a basis, houses, lands, money, things, relationships, gifts, all that we are and have, made up a trust which we are to administer” (Dick B., Anne Smith, 131).

Team-work. Day said Jesus Christ believed in team work. He gathered a small group about him and set the example for all his followers in this respect Dick B., Anne Smith, 131).

Loyalty. Day said: The supreme loyalty in life should be to Jesus Christ, but . . . the person or group of persons embodying for us the highest challenge we know, the person or persons that have been used to reveal Jesus Christ to us are persons and groups which demand our loyalty” Dick B., Anne Smith, 131-32).

References

Garth Lean, Frank Buchman: a Life (London: Constable, 1985)

Sherwood Sunderland Day, The Principles of the Group (Oxford: University Press, n.d.)

Dick B., The Oxford Group & Alcoholics Anonymous: A Design for Living that Works, new

rev ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998)

Dick B., New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A., Pittsburgh ed. (Kihei,

HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1999)

Dick B., Anne Smith’s Journal 1933-1939: A.A.’s Principles of Success, 3rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998)

Gloria Deo

There are various academic writing styles that are applicable in the writing of both academic and non-academic works. However, they all serve the same purpose, the purpose of appreciating and crediting of other people’s work which may have been used by a writer of any literary work. Non-academic informal writing includes any writing that may not be meant for academic assessment or presentation of professional research. In this case, this may be work meant to inform a particular person, and it may include for example a presentation of documented speech. The Oxford writing style is one among the many academic writing styles that can be applied in the writing of Oxford style papers written for both non-academic and academic purposes.

Oxford style papers are perhaps the best and conveniently referenced papers because of the slight diversity and variations of combinations used to make comprehensive references. The writing of Oxford style papers makes use of footnotes, end notes, a bibliography list, and the inclusion of superscript numbers that denote the specific positions within the text where the material referred to has been incorporated within the text. In-line Oxford styled citations are denoted by supra-script numerical numbers that may either take the form of Roman or Arabic numerals. These numerals are linked to the related references noted within the footnotes or end notes section of the Oxford style papers. The use of foot notes is more convenient in Oxford style papers because it presents the reference within the same page and therefore, the writer does not have to peruse to the end of the document in order to find the related source. Foot notes in Oxford style papers present the reference within the same page where the citation is made whereas; the end notes in Oxford style papers place the related references at the end of the whole document prior to the bibliography list that comes at the end of the document. The markers used in referencing-the numerals-should be appropriately placed at the end of the sentence or group of sentences quoted. Notably, both the markers, foot notes and end notes are arranged according to the sequence in which they occur. Once again this makes the traceability of the references simpler and easy to locate within any Oxford style papers because of sequencing. Oxford style papers also specifically require a bibliography list ordered according the alphabetical order of the author/s last names. The list should appear at the end of the end notes or last foot notes, just prior to the documented index page. The index page is not a mandatory requirement in Oxford style papers, but it should be included whenever required. An additional advantage to the readership of Oxford style papers is that the authors of Oxford style papers are allowed to include any material that was consulted in the research, though not directly used as well as any other sources of material that the author of the work may deem useful in conducting further research or providing extra information to the reader. There are two commonly used ways of making in-line references in the text, and the first one is direct quoting. Direct quotations lift texts from sources un-altered on to one’s works. Quotations shorter than forty words should be enclosed in double quote marks and referenced appropriately. Quotations within papers which are longer than forty words should be indented three spaces to make a block quote with no quote marks. The second popularly used method within Oxford style papers is paraphrasing, and in this case the writer puts the information in his or her own words. If you are interested in learning more about Oxford style papers visit our online writing sites and check out our tutorials or place orders for paper customization.

Sometimes no symptoms are present; however, signs you may need a root canal include:

* Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure

* Prolonged sensitivity/pain to heat or cold temperatures (after the hot or cold has been removed)

* Discoloration (a darkening) of the tooth

* Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums

* A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums

What Happens During a Root Canal treatment?

A root canal requires one or more office visits and can be performed by an Oxford dentist or endodontist. Your Oxfordshire dentist will discuss who might be best suited to perform the work in your particular case.

The first step in the procedure is to take an X-ray to see the shape of the root canals and determine if there are any signs of infection in a surrounding bone. Your Oxford dental practitioner or endodontist will then use local anaesthesia to numb the area near the tooth. Anaesthesia may not be necessary, since the nerve is dead, but most Oxford dentists still anesthetize the area to make the patient more relaxed and at ease.

Next, to keep the area dry and free of saliva during treatment, your dentist will place a rubber dam (a sheet of rubber) around the tooth.

An access hole will then be drilled into the tooth. The pulp along with bacteria, the decayed nerve tissue and related debris is removed from the tooth. The cleaning out process is accomplished using root canal files. A series of these files of increasing diameter are each subsequently placed into the access hole and worked down the full length of the tooth to scrape and scrub the sides of the root canals. The Oxford dentistry practitioner uses water or sodium hypochlorite is used periodically to flush away the debris.

Once the tooth is thoroughly cleaned, it is sealed. Some Oxford dentists like to wait a week before sealing the tooth. For instance, if there is an infection, your dentist may put a medication inside the tooth to clear it up. Others may choose to seal the tooth the same day it is cleaned out. If the root canal is not completed on the same day, a temporary filling is placed in the exterior hole in the tooth to keep out contaminants — like saliva and food — out between appointments.

At the next appointment, to fill the interior of the tooth, a sealer paste and a rubber compound called gutta percha is placed into the tooth’s root canal. To fill the exterior access hole created at the beginning of treatment, a filling is placed.

The final step may involve further restoration of the tooth and more cosmetic dentistry oxford procedures. Because a tooth that needs a root canal often is one that has a large filling or extensive decay or other weakness, a crown, crown and post, or other restoration often needs to be placed on the tooth to protect it, prevent it from breaking, and restore it to full function. Your Oxford dentist will discuss the need for any additional dental work with you.