“Not-God” by Ernest Kurtz is worth reading. Comprehensive, readable, and without an ego-driven bias. It has the appearance and format of a thesis written to fill a requirement for a PhD from Harvard and indeed the author received his PhD in 1978 and the book was published in 1979 and expanded in a new edition in 1991. It was published by Hazelden Press a well-known long-standing center for the study and treatment of the abuse of substances.

I’m always interested in histories of organizations but what caught my eye on this one was this part of the title: “Not-God.” At first, I thought it was a reference to the difficulties some saw in the early drafts of the Big Book where the role of God in the Program was described. Hence, “Higher Power” was substituted for “God.” That change made sense. Remember back in the 30s there really was no recognized process for the effective treatment of alcoholism.  Back then, the definition of “an alcoholic” seemed limited to the down-and-out-alley-drunk. Today we know differently. Back then, some treatment plans seemed to be focused on the sin of it all, “God abhors alcohol. If you are a drunk, you probably will dwell in Hell forever.” That so-called treatment was ineffective for any long-term sobriety. Moreover, medical experts didn’t have any good suggestions for treating or dealing with alcoholics.    

Remember that Bill and Dr. Bob had figured out a new way to deal with an alcoholic simply by adherence to a program of conversations with other alcoholics, of carrying the message of recovery, and the importance of a genuine willingness to stop through some sort of ‘white-light’ experience.

So, I thought his point for the Big Book was simply “God” evolved to “Higher Power.” But no, that’s not what he was saying. He was saying that WE are not God and we have to accept that the problem centers on our ego, our arrogant feeling that we can do it all – “I can handle my booze intake, thank you.” And that forces us to focus on the ego as a cause of much of our anxieties in life. Ego causes us to think we know it all, that our word is Right. Even the Program itself doesn’t claim to be the “be-all-and-end-all remedy to deal with alcoholism.” We tell the newbie, “It worked for me; maybe it will work for you.” Abandoning the idea that we’re God’s gift to the human race, permits us to develop a humbleness, a feeling of gratitude. We drop that arrogance, and we don’t have that need to be “right all the time.” A self-righteous attitude gets in the way of our interaction with others.

So, if you are looking for a good read, try “Not-God” but just remember your Higher Power is not you.

JRA, StX Noon