Twelve Step Christianity

Twelve Step Christianity teaches Christians in recovery to connect their faith with their program--and shows any Christian a clear path to a more intimate relationship with Christ. Genuine Christianity is more than a set of beliefs--it is a relationship with Jesus Christ that involves hearing His voice and following His directions. But how does one do this? What tools or spiritual disciplines enable Christians to live out their lives in dynamic submission to God's will? Perhaps no set of principles is better suited to help Christians hear God's voice and submit to His will than the Twelve Steps. As a Christian who practices the Steps, Saul Selby knows them to be an invaluable tool for living out the Christian faith. Selby brings his knowledge to bear in Twelve Step Christianity, which teaches Christians in recovery to connect their faith with their program--and shows any Christian a clear path to a more intimate relationship with Christ. Laid out in a workbook format, with room for readers to write answers and track their progress, Twelve Step Christianity explores the roots of Twelve Step spirituality, Examines the connections and distinctions between Christianity and Twelve Step programs and offers readers a deeper and broader understanding of the myriad powerful reasons for applying the Twelve Steps to their lives.

Twelve Step Christianity teaches Christians in recovery to connect their faith with their program--and shows any Christian a clear path to a more intimate relationship with Christ. Genuine Christianity is more than a set of beliefs--it is a relationship with Jesus Christ that involves hearing His voice and following His directions. But how does one do this? What tools or spiritual disciplines enable Christians to live out their lives in dynamic submission to God's will? Perhaps no set of principles is better suited to help Christians hear God's voice and submit to His will than the Twelve Steps. As a Christian who practices the Steps, Saul Selby knows them to be an invaluable tool for living out the Christian faith. Selby brings his knowledge to bear in Twelve Step Christianity, which teaches Christians in recovery to connect their faith with their program--and shows any Christian a clear path to a more intimate relationship with Christ. Laid out in a workbook format, with room for readers to write answers and track their progress, Twelve Step Christianity explores the roots of Twelve Step spirituality, Examines the connections and distinctions between Christianity and Twelve Step programs and offers readers a deeper and broader understanding of the myriad powerful reasons for applying the Twelve Steps to their lives.

Don Williams powerfully relates in 12 Steps with Jesus that by allowing Jesus to fill the emptiness that leads to addictive behavior, readers can leave addiction in the dust! Churches must lead people to dependence on Jesus. When we give ourselves wholly to Christ, He will fill us wholly, replacing the hollowness that results in addictions. In twelve practical steps, Williams reveals how to achieve spiritual fulfillment in Christ, discover freedom from addiction, and embrace the abundant life that God promises to all of His followers.

The twelve step addiction recovery process often comes in many variations and interpretations; while each variation may focus on different aspects of recovery, they all stem from the groundbreaking work of Bill W. and Dr. Bob Smith, the founders of the organization known as Alcoholics Anonymous. Twelve Steps to Spiritual Freedom: Understanding the Christian Roots of Twelve Step Programs aligns this 20th century construct with its roots in centuries old practices. This sensible approach brings together the deep spiritual tradition of Christianity to complement and support the hands-on, daily work of twelve-step programs. Interspersed with personal experiences, Understanding the Christian Roots of Twelve Step Programs identifies and contextualizes the natural connections between Christian mysticism and the wisdom of twelve step programs and makes this information usable for readers. With her intelligent and pragmatic approach, author Joanna Thyer speaks to those who struggle within twelve step programs and to the counselors, therapists, social workers, and family and friends who support their recovery efforts. Knowing the origins can make the journey through addiction recovery grounded, personal, and rooted in faith.

Using the Bible to analyze the Twelve Steps, the author concludes that Christians need not totally reject the steps, nor dare they blindly endorse them. Rather, he helps us see the Twelve Steps for what they really are.

This revised edition is a powerful resource for merging the practical wisdom of the Twelve Steps with the spiritual truths of the Bible.

We are all addicted in some way. When we learn to identify our addiction, embrace our brokenness, and surrender to God, we begin to bring healing to ourselves and our world. In Breathing Under Water, Richard Rohr shows how the gospel principles in the Twelve Steps can free anyone from addiction – from an obvious dependence on alcohol or drugs to the more common but less visible addiction that we all have to sin. ‘A must-read for any person who recognizes the need to go “inward” on their soul’s journey to question what their relationship is with God, themselves, and others.’ The Cord ‘Rohr is a perfect writer on the subject of the 12 Steps. His easy-to-read book is essentially a commentary on each of the steps, with twelve chapters and a postscript that concisely tackles the big religious questions of human suffering, suffering with which addicts and their families are intimately acquainted. Jesus, Rohr answers, is no stranger to suffering . . . This is a good book for those in recovery from addiction and those who love them. Publishers Weekly ‘Richard Rohr continues to guide us to greater wholeness . . . his books have helped countless souls, especially those who struggle with issues of brokenness and seek transformation.’ National Catholic Reporter

The Gospel and the Twelve Steps has been used widely by "Christians in Recovery" groups across America as a tool to facilitate recovery from addiction. Firmly based on biblical teaching, this book has provided spiritual help to Evangelicals, Protestants, and Roman Catholics in recovery. Now in a revised edition, subtitled, Following Jesus on the Path of Recovery, this book thoroughly integrates biblical teaching with the Twelve Steps to provide a solid spiritual foundation for Christians in recovery from addiction. Written also for those who practice the Twelve Steps, but are not Christians, the familiar language of The Gospel and the Twelve Steps can provide a palatable means for those Twelve-Step practitioners who are resistant to Christianity to develop a spiritually vital relationship with Jesus Christ. The Gospel and the Twelve Steps weaves scripture directly into the text and adds highly relevant biblical commentary from several widely known, beloved authors whose wisdom has stood the test of time. Including C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, William Barclay, and others, these teachers' words relate directly to the Twelve-Step program of recovery. The combination of ample scriptural references, thoroughly integrated into the text, and highly relevant commentary, makes The Gospel and the Twelve Steps unique among books for Christians in recovery.