Akron, Ohio, in 1935 was the site of what many might call a miracle. That year Bill Wilson, a former New York stockbroker, and Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon in Akron, met. Both men for many years had been helpless and hopeless alcoholics. Their meeting, however, led to the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous, an international organization which over the last eighty plus years has literally saved millions of lives by assisting people to realize their own brokenness and their need to seek reconciliation and assistance. In a very real way, Alcoholic Anonymous has been a source of resurrection and new life for many.

Prior to their meeting, Bill and Dr. Bob had each been in contact with the Oxford Group, a non-alcoholic fellowship that emphasized universal spiritual values in daily life. In New York…