Substance Abuse and Theology: The Essay

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Covert participant anthropological observations of AA and NA meetings indicate that in practice the use of theological components of the program is even more explicit than the 12 steps might indicate. During the meeting the members hold "each other's hands, and lead the membership into a recitation of the Lord's Prayer. Affixed to the Lord's Prayer is an AA ending: 'Keep coming back; it works'" (Alexander & Rollins, 1984, p.7). Anthropologists and critics alike have commented upon the 'cult-like' nature of AA and NA: new adherents are encouraged to leave their jobs and cut family ties to facilitate their path to sobriety; there is a ritualistic aspect to the group's meetings; a demand for purity on the part of the membership; and required adherence to all of the group's rules (Alexander & Rollins, 1984, p.8). The emphasis on the need to confess and tell one's stories, the need to prioritize doctrine over family relations, and the substitution of family relationships for group members have all troubled some observers (Alexander & Rollins, 1984, pp.8-9).

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Even some individuals who do not identify themselves as irreligious or opposed to Western religions find the stance of 12-step programs problematic in their conceptualism of addiction as a disease that must be removed by God, and through keeping to the group 'plan' rather than through more individualized efforts. The theology of AA and NA, although it has been effective for some people, places a strong emphasis on collective action and support at the expense of the individual and the need for a transformational experience that is accomplished through a higher power, not through the recovering person's own conscious efforts and responsibility......

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