Is A.A. a religious organization?
In short:
- By its own description, no. The 1939 Foreword says A.A. is "not allied with any particular faith, sect or denomination" (p. xiv). Chapter 7 says we represent no particular faith or denomination (pp. 93–94). The 1955 Foreword states it outright: "Alcoholics Anonymous is not a religious organization" (p. xx).
- Membership has no religious requirement. In 1939 the only requirement was "an honest desire to stop drinking" (p. xiv).
- But the program is openly about God, and the book doesn't hide it: "we are going to talk about God" (p. 45). What it insists on is that the conception of God is the reader's own (pp. 46–47, 93).
- Religion itself is left to each member: which church, if any, is "an entirely personal affair" (p. 28), and A.A. groups take no position on "sectarian religion" (p. 565).
What A.A. says it is
The earliest statement is the Foreword to the First Edition (1939): "We are not allied with any particular faith, sect or denomination, nor do we oppose anyone" (p. xiv). In the same paragraph: no fees or dues, and "The only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking" (p. xiv).
Chapter 2 adds: "We think it no concern of ours what religious bodies our members identify themselves with as individuals" (p. 28). It's "an entirely personal affair" (p. 28). Not all members join a church, though "most of us favor such memberships" (p. 28). Those with religious ties "will find here nothing disturbing to their beliefs or ceremonies" (p. 28).
Chapter 7 tells the helper the same: we represent no particular faith or denomination, and "We are dealing only with general principles common to most denominations" (p. 94).
Later statements keep this line. The Long Form of the Traditions (1946) says no group or member should express an opinion that implicates A.A. on outside controversies, "particularly those of politics, alcohol reform, or sectarian religion" (p. 565). The Foreword to the Second Edition (1955) says it in so many words: "Alcoholics Anonymous is not a religious organization" (p. xx), and lists members who are Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Hindus, Moslems and Buddhists (p. xx). The A.A. Preamble, first printed in the Grapevine in June 1947 and based on the 1939 Foreword (Service Manual, the Grapevine section), says A.A. "is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution" (P-17, front matter).
But the program talks about God
It would be dishonest to stop there. The Big Book is plain that its program depends on a Power greater than ourselves and calls that Power God: - "Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem" (p. 45). "And it means, of course, that we are going to talk about God" (p. 45). - Five of the Twelve Steps name God or Him (Steps 3, 5, 6, 7 and 11), and Step 2 speaks of a Power greater than ourselves (p. 59), and the chapters that explain them are full of prayer (pp. 63, 76, 85–88). - "We Agnostics" (Chapter 4) doesn't leave the agnostic where he is. It argues for faith: "either God is everything or else He is nothing" (p. 53), and "deep down in every man, woman, and child, is the fundamental idea of God" (p. 55). - In the early Akron meetings described in the stories, meetings closed with the Lord's Prayer (p. 262), and Dr. Bob "always emphasized the religious angle very strongly" (p. 263).
Whose God
What the book refuses to do is tell anyone what God is. "Much to our relief, we discovered we did not need to consider another's conception of God" (p. 46). "When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God" (p. 47). Starting is simple: "Do I now believe, or am I even willing to believe, that there is a Power greater than myself?" (p. 47). About half the original fellowship had thought they were atheists or agnostics (p. 44).
Chapter 7 makes this a rule for anyone carrying the message: - An agnostic or atheist "does not have to agree with your conception of God. He can choose any conception he likes, provided it makes sense to him" (p. 93). - Use everyday language. Don't raise theological issues, "no matter what your own convictions are" (p. 93). - "Let him see that you are not there to instruct him in religion" (p. 93). - If he prefers some other spiritual approach, encourage him: "We have no monopoly on God" (p. 95).
Appendix II says the same: "Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery" (p. 568), and an alcoholic can recover "provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts" (p. 568).
Friendly to religion, not part of one
The book asks members to drop their prejudice "even against organized religion" (p. 49), says members who belong to a church keep its devotions (p. 87), and advises: "Be quick to see where religious people are right" (p. 87). For the Fifth Step it suggests a clergyman as one choice, or a close-mouthed friend, a doctor, or family (p. 74). Appendix V collects approving words from clergy of several churches (p. 572).
The answer
A.A. as a fellowship belongs to no religion, allies with none, takes no side in religious questions, and asks no one to believe anything to join. Its program is spiritual and speaks of God throughout, but leaves each person to understand God in his own way. The Big Book doesn't use the slogan "spiritual, not religious." It says the things above, which is what that slogan tries to sum up.
Read it yourself
- Foreword to the First Edition, pp. xiii–xiv: https://www.aa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/en_bigbook_forewordfirstedition.pdf
- Chapter 2 (pp. 17–29), "There Is a Solution": https://www.aa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/en_bigbook_chapt2.pdf
- Chapter 4 (pp. 44–57), "We Agnostics": https://www.aa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/en_bigbook_chapt4.pdf
- Chapter 7 (pp. 89–103), "Working With Others": https://www.aa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/en_bigbook_chapt7.pdf
- Appendix I, the Twelve Traditions, Long Form on pp. 563–566: https://www.aa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/en_bigbook_appendicei.pdf
- Appendix II, "Spiritual Experience": https://www.aa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/en_bigbook_appendiceii.pdf
- Related: Do I have to be religious to work the Steps?
Sources
| Source | Pages | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Alcoholics Anonymous, Foreword to the First Edition | xiii–xiv | 1939 |
| Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 | 28, 44–57, 59, 74, 87, 93–95 | 1939 |
| "He Sold Himself Short," Part I | 262–263 | story describes Akron, 1937 |
| The Twelve Traditions, Long Form (Appendix I) | 565 | written 1946; placed in the Big Book 1955 |
| Foreword to the Second Edition | xx | 1955 |
| Appendix II, Spiritual Experience | 568 | after the 1939 first printing; the Preface puts the appendices in the 1955 edition (p. xi) |
| Appendix V, "The Religious View on A.A." | 572 | 1955 edition or later |
| The A.A. Preamble (as printed in P-17) | front matter | first printed June 1947 (A.A. Grapevine), per the Service Manual (2024–2026 edition); the wording quoted is P-17's current printing (© 2019), and our sources don't hold the 1947 text |
Recovery Starts is independent and not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous. Quotations are brief and cited; the Big Book is © A.A. World Services, Inc.; the Preamble is © AA Grapevine, Inc.
These pages answer questions about A.A. from A.A.'s own published literature, read in full, with every quote checked word for word against the page it cites. Recovery Starts is independent and not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous. What we read, and when each source was written.