Father Bill W.

Father Bill shares an important writing by Rev. Sam Shoemaker. He is the Oxford Group leader Bill Wilson credits with teaching him no fewer than ten of the twelve Steps. Titled, “What the Church Has to Learn from Alcoholics Anonymous,” Fr. Bill reads the complete article. It’s also available in written form through the Step Study. Show Notes:  Link to Sam Shoemaker’s “What the Church Has to Learn from Alcoholics Anonymous”

Father Bill concludes his series of interviews with Stephen R. Haynes, professor of religious studies at Rhodes College and adjunct professor of recovery at Fuller Theological Seminary. Stephen’s new book Why Can’t the Church Be More Like an AA Meeting? explores the similarities and differences between communities of faith and communities of recovery. Stephen has traveled both worlds and shares insights and experiences gained along the way. This episode explores how churches and 12 Step fellowships approach sexual addictions or as Dr. Haynes terms it, “the pornification of society.” Show Notes: Why Can’t Church Be More Like an AA Meeting? by Stephen R. Haynes. Your Brain on Porn website: www.YourBrainOnPorn.com The statistics quoted from a study by Jennifer Johnson at Virginia Commonwealth University: (see page 183 of Stephen’s book) Johnson’s team found that 51%of college men in their study masturbated to pornography several times a week, 19%used it several times per month, and 13.5%were daily users.”

Father Bill continues a series of interviews with Stephen R. Haynes, professor of religious studies at Rhodes College and adjunct professor of recovery at Fuller Theological Seminary. Stephen’s new book Why Can’t the Church Be More Like an AA Meeting? explores the similarities and differences between communities of faith and communities of recovery. Stephen has traveled both worlds and shares insights and experiences gained along the way. This episode explores the Oxford Group, its founder Frank Buchman, and the religious background from which they came as well as exploring the balancing of religion and recovery. Show Notes: Why Can’t Church Be More Like an AA Meeting? by Stephen R. Haynes. Biography of Frank Buchman See: Garth Lean; On the Tail of a Comet Sample of Thomas Power’s speaking at an AA conference Rupert Sheldrake

Father Bill begins a series of interviews with Stephen R. Haynes, professor of religious studies at Rhodes College and adjunct professor of recovery at Fuller Theological Seminary. Stephen’s new book explores the similarities and differences between communities of faith and communities of recovery. Stephen has traveled both worlds and shares his insights and experiences gained and researched along the way. In this episode, Stephen shares his recovery and faith stories, laying the groundwork for the series. Show Notes: Why Can’t Church Be More Like an AA Meeting? by Stephen R. Haynes.

Father Bill completes the series with the help of Mike V. from Akron, Ohio. Mike and Fr. Bill share some of their experiences with shadow work and how they integrate it into their practice of Two Way Prayer. Show Notes: Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson Robert Johnson YouTube Lecture on Shadow Robert Johnson YouTube Lecture on Active Imagination Robert Johnson book: Inner Work

Fr. Bill continues the study of the human Shadow ala Robert A. Johnson.  This episode completes the reading of Johnson’s book arriving at the holy place where paradoxes collide to form something wholly new. Johnson makes use of "the mandorla" to describe this. Mandorla is Italian for the almond shape formed when two circles begin to overlap. Something new is created in the center. It may be what the Big Book terms “the fourth dimension of existence.” Show Notes: Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson

Fr. Bill continues an exploration of the Shadow ala Robert A. Johnson.  This episode looks at how we project our Shadow onto others. “It’s a spiritual axiom that any time I am disturbed there’s something wrong with the people around me!” Show Notes: Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson

Fr. Bill follows Robert Johnson down into the workings of the Shadow-side of our personalities. Johnson uses the example of the seesaw to show the danger of attempting to focus attention on only one side of the personality. If we try to become “holy” instead of trying to become “whole” – we miss the center of the seesaw – we miss discovering who we are. The Seventh Step prayer reminds us, “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad.” We find our balance in wholeness, not in one-sided holiness. Show Notes: Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson

Fr. Bill explores the origins of shadow within the development of human consciousness. To adapt to culture, to become civilized, we must each pay a price. That price is the repression of the things in us that both society and we ourselves deem unacceptable. Push these things down and they form a shadow in us. Let them build and fester and they’re likely to explode. Befriend them, engage them consciously and they can become a source of hidden power and inner gold. This is the recovery journey. Tell Nancy, it's a whole lot more than JUST SAY NO! Show Notes: Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson

Father Bill begins another series based on the work of Jungian analyst Robert A. Johnson. Johnson’s book explores Jung’s concept of the Shadow – the hidden, denied, unrealized parts of us that have a life of their own and a way of making their presence felt through explosive bursts of anger or more slowly through lingering depression. The point is, they will come out of their hiding place sooner or later - the good news is they often come bearing gifts of gold. Show Notes: Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson