A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original review appears below. Kit Schindell is a psychiatric nurse in Vancouver and an elder at Fairview Church there.
Two Tracks – One Goal: How Alcoholics Anonymous Relates to Christianity, by Cal Chambers, Credo, 1992.
Dr. Cal Chambers, a well-known Canadian Presbyterian, speaks with keen familiarity of the subject of alcoholism, and of the misery and ruined lives experienced by many who become addicted to alcohol. And he speaks with the same authority of the power of Alcoholics Anonymous to help these individuals attain sobriety. He says:
“I am firmly committed to two facts:
- God has revealed Himself personally and powerfully in Jesus Christ, whose life is chronicled in the New Testament.
- God has raised up Alcoholics Anonymous as a ministry of love to help anyone afflicted by the inordinate misuse of alcohol or any other artificial dependency that robs men and women of inner freedom.”
Alcoholics Anonymous is the well-known recovery program that began in the USA in 1935, and has since helped many thousands of addicted men and women around the world find the physical, emotional and spiritual recovery (not to mention sobriety) that they were previously powerless to attain. It has long been a non-profit organization, and it is run by recovered or recovering alcoholics.
Two Tracks – One Goal is the author’s response to those Christians who maintain that AA is not “Christian” enough because Jesus Christ is not specifically referred to in the Twelve Steps – the basic re-building blocks of the organization – and to those AA members who insist that Christianity does not have a specific place in the organization’s basic philosophy. He weaves their association together in a manner that shows how an organization such as AA could only be of God, and how recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous is one first step towards spiritual transformation through Jesus Christ.
Cal Chambers is clearly a friend to alcoholics. The book is filled with anecdotes and recalled conversations. Indeed, one finds the author quoting himself on nearly every page. This however turns out to be an (unintentional) gift to the reader: one cannot help but be impressed with the humility and wisdom of Dr. Chambers. I was frequently awed by the simplicity of his explanations and analogies. Best of all, his compassion simply shines through the pages. He speaks with knowledge gained through long experience with Alcoholics Anonymous and the men and women who have attempted to find help through the Twelve Steps. There is no sense of defensiveness of either organization or its followers. His commitment to the alcoholic is certainly based on his own personal commitment to Christ.
The Twelve Steps form the basis of the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, and outline for the member who chooses to work through them, the way back to a life of regained self-worth and purposefulness. Chambers takes the steps one at a time, and thoughtfully discusses it, showing how the basis of each of the steps flows from Christian faith. He even lists each step and upholds it with a Christian interpretation. Again, there is not a hint of defensiveness of proof-texting; what he says makes sense. Furthermore, the book is reader-friendly. If you are already overwhelmed and searching for help, you won’t want a long academic tome. Likewise, if God is calling you to help the alcoholic in your family or in your church or in your neighbourhood, you won’t want to be weighed down with arguments, comparisons or mighty words. This is the book for you, too.
I have some fears for this book. I think it suffers from poor editing and a mysterious cover which will be inexplicable until one has read the book. The title, too, is somewhat mystifying. And my greatest concern is that this book will be left behind, out of church libraries and ministers’ studies, because it will be considered a book “for alcoholics.” In fact, this excellent book would be of great help to any Christian who is addicted… to alcohol, to street drugs, to prescription drugs, to food, to sex, to work. Two Tracks – One Goal is a book that could be helpful to each and all of us. Please ask your church librarian to order a copy soon.