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181:
The term has been cited as found in the King James version of the Bible, again in the plural form, in Romans 13:1: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." However, in this passage Saint Paul is referring to civil
37:. The same groups use the phrases "a power greater than ourselves" and "God of our understanding" synonymously. The term is intentionally vague because the program is not tied to a particular religion or spiritual tradition; members may use it to refer to any
194:
researched the belief of
Americans in a higher power. He based his research on data from 8,000 adults polled by the Chicago-based National Opinion Research Center between 1988 and 2000. Among his findings were that 8% stated "I don't believe in a
89:. It is frequently stipulated that as long as a higher power is "greater" than the individual, then the only conditions are that it should also be loving and caring, and able to relieve the individual of their alcoholism.
117:"The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power."
788:
199:, but I do believe in a higher power of some kind." This is the same figure as found by the 1999 Gallup national poll of Americans. Sherkat also found that 16% of the
178:
uses the singular term "higher power" four times, and the plural "higher powers" seven times, to refer to powers beyond the self that may provide assistance.
365:
Baker, Michael P.; Sellman, J. Douglas; Horn, Jacqueline (2001). "Developing a God/higher power scale for use with twelve step treatment programs".
879:
1144:
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120:"Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!"
792:
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61:
usage, a higher power can be anything at all that the member believes is adequate. Reported examples include their twelve-step group,
242:
was founded by a group of
Christians who criticized the higher power concept as being too vague. In their twelve-step-derived group,
697:
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265:
in 2007, is a story of a child who follows the direction of her higher power, a concept she learned from a twelve-step group.
163:
410:
Rudy, David R.; Greil, Arthur L. (1989). "Is
Alcoholics Anonymous a Religious Organization?: Meditations on Marginality".
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287:'s opening remarks at a conference in June 2008 included the remark: "There has to be a higher power."
658:
Alcoholics
Anonymous: The Story of how Many Thousands of Men and Women have Recovered from Alcoholism
585:
Alcoholics
Anonymous: The Story of how Many Thousands of Men and Women have Recovered from Alcoholism
536:
Alcoholics
Anonymous: The Story of how Many Thousands of Men and Women have Recovered from Alcoholism
487:
Alcoholics
Anonymous: The Story of how Many Thousands of Men and Women have Recovered from Alcoholism
312:
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Dr. Bob and the Good
Oldtimers: A biography with recollections of Early AA in the Midwest
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recorded a song called "Higher Power" about drug addiction that was included on their
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Green, L. L., Fullilove, M. T., & Fullilove, R. E.; Fullilove; Fullilove (1998).
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people surveyed agreed with the statement about a 'higher power', while 13.2% of
114:"Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
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An empirically based recovery framework likened faith in a higher power to
196:
135:
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authorities such as kings and governments, rather than a spiritual power.
49:, or even non-supernatural things such as the twelve-step program itself.
1027:
721:"Moving Forward: Negotiating Self and External Circumstances in Recovery"
317:
223:
147:
78:
840:"Stories of spiritual awakening: The nature of spirituality in recovery"
789:"God as We Understood Him : Too Christian or Not Christian Enough?"
625:. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. December 1980. pp. 306–315.
364:
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claimed to follow a "higher power" which was ultimately revealed to be
158:
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815:"Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives National Conference"
423:
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Sources that may have contributed to the adoption of the term in
82:
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Term used in
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200:
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243:
143:
42:
719:
Ochocka, Joanna; Nelson, Geoff; Janzen, Rich (Spring 2005).
698:"Americans' belief in God is high but nuanced, study says"
348:"The God Concept In Alcoholics Anonymous – Silkworth.net"
291:
74:
38:
660:(4th ed.). Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.
587:(4th ed.). Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.
538:(4th ed.). Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.
489:(4th ed.). Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.
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168:is cited in the "Spiritual Experience" appendix of
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1145:When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story
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164:The Varieties of Religious Experience
844:Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
812:
694:
615:
157:James, who wrote "The only cure for
13:
987:Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
831:
762:Celebrate Recovery: Leader's Guide
725:Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal
529:"Chapter 3: More About Alcoholism"
328:Self-help groups for mental health
246:is the only higher power allowed.
14:
1223:
451:Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
176:Varieties of Religious Experience
1166:
1165:
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695:Dart, John (December 14, 2004).
578:"Chapter 7: Working With Others"
806:
780:
751:
813:Bush, George W. (2008-06-26).
766:. Zondervan Publishing House.
368:Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly
339:
282:President of the United States
216:motivation for personal growth
1:
857:10.1016/S0740-5472(97)00211-0
817:. The White House, Washington
333:
21:Higher Power (disambiguation)
1094:Disease theory of alcoholism
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103:power greater than ourselves
7:
306:
10:
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464:10.5642/jhummath.202201.33
445:Helman, Daniel S. (2022).
323:List of twelve-step groups
150:religion, and the work of
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105:appear many times in the "
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480:"Chapter 5: How It Works"
313:Addiction recovery groups
258:The Higher Power of Lucky
174:of Alcoholics Anonymous.
1053:William Duncan Silkworth
737:10.2975/28.2005.315.322
651:"Spiritual Experience"
123:
412:Sociological Analysis
381:10.1300/J020v19n02_03
261:, which received the
255:The children's novel
211:also agreed with it.
111:
1212:Alcoholics Anonymous
1197:Twelve-step programs
918:Alcoholics Anonymous
758:Baker, John (1998).
186:Correlates of belief
161:is religiomania" in
132:Alcoholics Anonymous
93:Alcoholics Anonymous
53:Definition and usage
35:twelve-step programs
31:Alcoholics Anonymous
19:For other uses, see
1192:Drug rehabilitation
1131:Bill W. and Dr. Bob
1099:Hazelden Foundation
994:The Little Red Book
701:. Christian Century
205:liberal Protestants
71:existential freedom
59:twelve-step program
1138:My Name Is Bill W.
1058:Rowland Hazard III
250:In popular culture
240:Celebrate Recovery
140:King James Version
29:is a term used in
1179:
1178:
1089:Bill Wilson House
955:Twelve Traditions
773:978-0-310-22108-1
649:(February 2002).
527:(February 2002).
109:". For example:
47:conception of God
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1104:The Oxford Group
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999:
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981:The Big Book
960:Higher Power
959:
950:Twelve Steps
874:cite journal
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793:the original
787:Ryan, Dale.
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197:personal god
190:Sociologist
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136:spirituality
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99:higher power
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1028:Jim Burwell
318:Jim Burwell
294:storyline,
268:Rock group
224:Carl Rogers
148:New Thought
79:mathematics
57:In current
45:, another
1186:Categories
1084:Alcoholism
1038:Marty Mann
1001:Day by Day
974:Literature
821:2008-08-10
799:2008-07-14
705:2008-08-10
681:2009-09-02
608:2009-09-02
559:2009-09-02
510:2009-09-02
334:References
159:dipsomania
97:The terms
1043:Carl Jung
397:218636189
389:0734-7324
235:Christian
230:Criticism
1171:Category
943:Concepts
745:15895914
307:See also
142:of the
107:Big Book
1072:Related
1048:Lois W.
1023:Dr. Bob
1018:Bill W.
929:History
866:9650141
676:2353981
647:Bill W.
603:2353981
574:Bill W.
554:2353981
525:Bill W.
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432:3710917
126:History
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244:Jesus
144:Bible
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672:OCLC
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