The Reverend Samuel Moor Shoemaker, Jr., D.D., S.T.D.
His Writings and Influence on Alcoholics Anonymous
Dick B. © 2005
The Dick B. Shoemaker/A.A. Collection
[All items listed herein are presently catalogued, were donated by benefactors to Calvary Episcopal Church in Pittsuburgh, and are now located in the Shoemaker Room at that church. This is probably the most complete collection of the books, papers, sermons, and other materials pertaining to Sam Shoemaker and A.A. anywhere that I know of. This collection was permanently established in Shoemaker’s second church in June, 2005]
1. New Light on Alcoholism: God, Sam Shoemaker, and A.A., 2d ed. by Dick B.
This title is a voluminous and comprehensive work on Shoemaker, his writings, and his relationship with Bill Wilson and Alcoholics Anonymous. It has several appendices and an extensive bibliography.
2. Other Titles by Dick B. pertaining to Rev. Shoemaker and A.A.
Dr. Bob and His Library, 3rd ed. Anne Smith’s Journal, 1933-1939 The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth, 7th ed. Good Morning: Quiet Time, Morning Watch, Meditation and Early A.A. The Oxford Group and Alcoholics Anonymous The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous Making Known the Biblical History and Roots of A.A.
3 Titles written by Sam Shoemaker with date published, and with specific bibliography set forth in New Light on Alcoholism:
A Young Man’s View of the Ministry, 1923 Beginning Your Ministry, 1963 (with jacket) By the Power of God, 1954 (inscribed by SHS, with jacket) Calvary Church Yesterday and Today, 1936 Children of the Second Birth, 1927 Christ and This Crisis, 1943 Christ’s Words from the Cross, 1933 Confident Faith, 1932 Extraordinary Living for Ordinary Men, 1965 (with jacket) Freedom and Faith, 1949 God’s Control, 1939 (with jacket) How to Become a Christian, 1953 (with jacket) How You Can Find Happiness, 1947 (with jacket) How You Can Help Other People, 1946 (with jacket) If I Be Lifted Up, 1931 (with jacket) Living Your Life Today, 1947 (with jacket) National Awakening, 1936 (with jacket) One Boy’s Influence, 1925 Realizing Religion, 1921 Religion That Works, 1928 Revive Thy Church, 1948 (inscribed by SHS) Sam Shoemaker at His Best, 1964 Steps of a Modern Disciple, 1972 The Church Alive, 1950 (with jacket) The Church Can Save the World, 1938 The Conversion of the Church, 1932 (inscribed by SHS) The Experiment of Faith, 1957 (with jacket) The Gospel According to You, 1934 They’re on the Way, 1951 (with jacket) Twice-Born Ministers, 1929 Under New Management, 1966 With the Holy Spirit and with Fire, 1960 (with jacket)
4. Landmark articles and pamphlets by Shoemaker:
Act As If, October, 1954 A First Century Christian Fellowship: A Defense of So-called Buchmanism by One of Its Leaders, 1928 God and America, Gramercy Park, n.d. How to Find God, 1957 Lord, Teach Us to Pray, 1977 Morning Radio Talk No. 1, 1945 My Life Work and My Will, circa 1930 Power to Become, 1944 The Breadth and Narrowness of the Gospel, 1929 (fragment) The Way to Find God, 1935 Creative Relationships, 1946 Calvary Mission, n.d. What the Church Has to Learn From Alcoholics Anonymous, 1956
5. Symposia edited by, and with chapters or material by Shoemaker
Faith at Work. NY: Hawthorne Books, 1958 Together. NY: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1956 The Centennial History of Calvary Episcopal Church Pittsburgh. 1955 The Guideposts Trilogy. NY: Guideposts Associates, 1962 Steps to a New Beginning. TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993 Get Going Through Small Groups. NY: Guideposts, n.d. Marriage is for Living. MI: Zondervan, 1968
6. Shoemaker articles on the A.A. Program
And so from my heart I say, Sept. 1948 The Spiritual Angle, October, 1955 The Spiritual Path of A.A., n.d. The Twelve Steps of A.A., 1953 Those Twelve Steps as I Understand Them, 1986 12 Steps to Power, 1983
7. Sam Shoemaker Papers specifically collected and copied by Dick B.
(a) Selected pages from the personal diary of Rev. Shoemaker for 1931, which discuss the Firestone/Oxford Group/A.A. events – 18 pages (b) Selected pages from the personal diary of Rev. Shoemaker for 1935, which specifically mention Bill Wilson and other Calvary Church and Oxford Group leaders of the period. – 16 pages (c) Morning Radio Talk by the Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker (Transcript): “Gems for Thought,” a presentation of the American Broadcasting Company on Thursday, October 4, 1945 from 8:55 to 9:00 A.M., Eastern Standard Time. Located by Dick B. in the Princeton University Alumni Archives and copied with permission (d) A list of books and pamphlets by Oxford Group writers and by Rev. Sam Shoemaker that were advertised in Oxford Group Books and in the Calvary Evangel
8. Biographies of, and Biographical Titles about, Sam Shoemaker
I Stand By the Door, by Helen Smith Shoemaker, Wordbooks, 1967 The Breeze of the Spirit, by W. Irving Harris, Seabury Press, 1978 And Thy Neighbor. . . , by Cecile Cox Offill, Wordbooks, 1967 Calvary Church in Action, by John Potter Cuyler, Jr. Fleming Revell, 1934 Kairos: Moments Remembered, by Griffin C. Callahan, WV: 1999 Taking the Gospel to the Point: Evangelicals in Pittsburgh and the Origins of the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, by Michael J. Sider, n.d. Sam Shoemaker’s Theological Influence, Ph.D. dissertation by Charles Knippel No Outside Enterprises. Ph.D. dissertation by Randolph G. Aitkins
9. Titles by Helen Smith Shoemaker (wife of Rev. Sam Shoemaker)
The Secret of Effective Prayer Prayer and Evangelism Power Through Prayer Groups Prayer and You
10. Bankers Box containing relevant magazines, news articles, correspondence, interview notes, personal journal copies, and manuscripts pertaining to Sam Shoemaker and A.A.
(1) Shoemaker’s grandson, Ben Rea – 2 pages
(2) Shoemaker’s older daughter, Sally Robinson – 1 page
(3) Shoemaker’s wife, Helen Smith Shoemaker – 3 pages
(4) Mrs. W. Irving (Julia) Harris, who lived in Calvary House, helped her husband, Shoemaker, and Bill Wilson – resource – 19 pages
(5) Episcopal Church Archives in Austin, Texas: 230 items selected from 52 boxes of Shoemaker correspondence, booklets, materials examined and copied with approval
(6) Calvary Evangel – recommended books and articles – 8 pages
(7) Pittsburgh Experiment literature and news articles – 20 pages
(8) Calvary Mission, first anniversary pamphlet – 8 pages
(9) Calvary Evangel Articles by Rev. W. Irving Harris – 5 issues
(10) Writings of Rev. W. Irving Harris, Shoemaker’s assistant minister, Evangel editor, and resident of Calvary House during the 1930’s. Wrote Shoemaker biography – 53 pages
(11) Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation literature and news
(12) Calvary Evangel articles by Shoemaker – 8 issues, plus 16 page article on Calvary Mission
(13) “Act as If” article by Shoemaker
(14) Four often-reprinted sermons delivered by Shoemaker at Calvary Church, Pittsburgh – 15 pages
(15) Princeton University Alumni Archives on Shoemaker
(16) Article – “What the Church has to Learn from Alcoholics Anonymous” by Shoemaker.
(17) Six very important articles and papers by Shoemaker: (a) “The Way to Find God;” (b) “Calvary Mission;” (c) Transcript of Bill Wilson’s talk at A.A.’s 20th Anniversary dinner as transcribed by Shoemaker; (d) “A First Century Christian Fellowship;” (e) “My Life’s Work and Will;” (f) “Lord, Teach us to Pray.” – 60 pages in all.
(18) Transcript of Sam Shoemaker’s address to A.A.’s International Convention at Long Beach, California – original and edited – 12 pages in all.
(19) Shoemaker’s 6 articles on Alcoholics Anonymous and its Twelve Steps: (a) “Twelve Steps to Power;” (b) “Those Twelve Steps as I understand them;” (c) “And so from my heart I say;” (d) “The Twelve Steps of A.A.;” (e) “Power to Become;” (f) “The Spiritual Angle.” – 19 pages in all
(20) Several special Oxford Group materials from Episcopal Church Archives, copied with permission – (a) Loudon Hamilton’s article on Some Basic Principles of Christian Work; (b) Wilfrid Holmes-Walker’s article on “The New Enlistment;” (c) Bishop Carey’s article on “The Group System and the Catholic Church;” (d) Henry B. Wright’s article on “Secret Prayer;” (e) Loudon Hamilton’s description of A First Century Christian Fellowship – the Oxford Group; (f) Victor C. Kitchen’s Evangel article, “Points West.” – 37 pages in all.
(21) Personal Notes of Dick B. from his interviews at Ft. Myers Beach, Florida with James D. Newton and also with Newton and Shoemaker’s younger daughter Nickie Haggart specifically reviewing parallel diary entries in Newton’s and in Shoemaker’s diaries of Shoemaker/Firestone events of 1931 and of the Akron/Firestone/Oxford Group events of 1933 – 6 pages.
(22) The History of Faith at Work, by Karl A. Olsson, M.D. A five part historical series detailing the various aspects of Shoemaker’s work and accomplishments: (1) “Rooted in the 19th Century, FAW Grew From a Series of Births and Rebirths;” (2) “Frank Buchman, the Oxford Group and the Four Absolutes: Honesty, Purity, Unselfishness and Love;” (3) “Sam Shoemaker and Faith at Work;” (4) “An Organization Emerges;” (5) “The Later Years – Changes to Challenges.” 11 pages in all.
(23) Sam Shoemaker’a letter to Bill Wilson, dated January 22, 1935 little more than a month after Bill got sober in Towns Hospital, congratulating and thanking Bill for helping the Chemistry Professor (Breithut) and having been guided to help Oxford Group worker Jim Williams. Signed by Sam, located by Dick B. in his first research trip to Stepping Stones, and copied with approval.
(24) Printed letter, dated November 1, 1941, signed by Sam Shoemaker and his Associate Rector J. Herbert Smith, explaining to the Parishioners of Calvary Church the termination of the use of Calvary House as “national headquarters for Moral Re-Armament. Located by Dick B. at Hartford Seminary Archives and copied with permission.
(25) Typed letter from Calvary Rectory, dated November 4, 1941, signed by Sam Shoemaker, addressed “Dear Friends,” confirming belief “as firmly as ever in the principles of the Oxford Group,” and reminding them that they and any of their friends “are always welcome at Calvary Church and Calvary House.” Located by Dick B. at the Calvary Church Archives in New York and copied with permission.