Father Bill W. A Rebel in the Oxford Group: Getting In and Getting Out
David Belden was born into a family of Oxford Group leaders and committed activists. The Group set out “to change the world” and throughout his early years David devoted himself wholeheartedly to this challenge. But while “carrying the message” in Africa, his life took an unexpected turn that led to his questioning some of principles and practices he had once taken uncritically for granted.
David returned to Oxford University to write his doctoral dissertation on the Group’s history, influence and shortcomings. He recently published a still more intimate account of his own journey toward personal and social transformation and change: The World Remakers’ Child.
This series affords a rare insider’s view of the Group responsible for contributing no fewer than ten of A.A.’s Twelve Steps and yields fresh insights and challenges throughout. Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson praised David’s book for its “steady candor,” “humor about himself,” and “a thirst for a less harsh, more loving, and fairer world.”
This second episode takes a deep dive into Dave’s immersion in the Group, what that was like, what happened, and what it’s like now. It’s quite a ride!
Show notes:
David Belden’s book: The World Remakers’ Child
Dave’s Oxford University Doctoral Thesis:
https://www.academia.edu/27545723/The_Origins_and_Development_of_the_Oxford_Group_Moral_Re_Armament_
For Sinners Only by A.J. Russell
The Christ of the Indian Road by E. Stanley Jones (free pdf)
This Is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-First Century by Paul and Mark Engler