Does Alcoholics Anonymous Help Grow the Spiritual but not Religious Movement
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20206674 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Linda Mercadante (0000-0001-7790-0937, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 184-193 |
| Publication date | 2020-04-24 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Implicit Religion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1463-9955 • E-ISSN: 1743-1697 |
| Publisher | Equinox Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1558/imre.40699 |
| OpenAlex | W3020729006 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 1 |
Both the 12 Step movement of Alcoholics Anonymous and the spiritual-but-not-religious (SBNR) movement insist there is an important difference between spirituality and religion. Briefly, it is claimed that spirituality is personal and heart-felt, while religion consists of human-created doctrines, institutions, and outward rituals. However, the two routes to that definition differ in significant ways. For AA the dichotomy has been functional to allow a diverse membership and reduce an undercurrent of societal judgmentalism. For SBNRs, the claim has been boundary-marking, facilitating the movement away from organized religion. Nevertheless, as AA has progressed, it has become more of a portal away from religion and toward the SBNR ethos. This essay shows some of the more significant theological themes that have facilitated this movement
Aesthetics · Alcoholics Anonymous · Environmental ethics · Ethos · Political science · Sociology · Spirituality · Law · Medicine · Philosophy · Psychology · Religion and Society in Latin America · Religion and Society Interactions · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Religious studies · Social Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2024 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |