Our Forerunners

The Six Steps of the Oxford Group

1.  A complete deflation.
2.  Dependence on God.
3.  A moral inventory.
4.  Confession.
5.  Restitution.
6.  Continued work with others in need.

These are the six precepts that guided the Oxford Group - a very religious group that many believe was instrumental to Bill W as he fleshed out our Program.  You have got to love Bill, though - six weren't good enough so he doubled down and made it an even dozen.

That is an informal AA slogan, after all - if one is good then a hundred is better.

Steps one, two, and three seem to be well represented but are compacted into two Oxford steps.  Steps four and five are identical: a moral inventory and confession.   Steps six and seven are completely blown off.  Eight and nine may sneak in under the guise of Restitution?  Steps ten and eleven vanish into the gloaming but step twelve is as advertised.

So our founders add some additional instructions about developing a relationship with a higher power in our first three steps and they expound on this in steps six and seven, finally concluding with more extensive information on a daily inventory and a spiritual prayer and meditation practice.

So  . . .  a little more instruction on developing a relationship with a god of our choosing . . .  a LOT more instruction, actually . . . and then a suggestion that we do a little more in the daily inventory department . . . a LOT more, actually . . . before concluding with a reminder that we need to be of service to others.  I do like the fact that in AA our twelfth step reminds us that we can best be of service when we remember that our spiritual awakening makes this service possible AND that we need to continue to strive to leave our inner assholes in the past by practicing these spiritual principles.

We had to come from somewhere.