Written in a similar manner to Harold Begbie’s Twice Born Men and More Twice Born Men, Shoemaker shows proof that William James statement that self surrender . . . always must be regarded as the turning point of the religious life. Shoemaker writes:

We belive entirely hat conversion is the experience which initiates the new life. But we are not fools enough to think that the beginning is the end! All subsequent life is a development of the relationship with God which conversion opened up. For us its daily focal point is in what we call the Quiet Time. As in all other private devotions, we pray and read the Bible. But the distinguishing element of a Quiet Time is listening for the guidance of God. “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth” is the expectant mood of the Quiet Time. The validity of what we believe to be God’s guidance must show itself, in the long run, by more acute moral perception, more genuine human relationships, and increasing assurance of what one ought to do with every hour of the day.

Shoemaker tells the stories of people in his parish who lives were transformed. AA’s storytelling and sharing of one’s experience, strength and hope can be traced to these Oxford Group roots. Bill W. originally wrote in the multilith copy of the Big Book:

This is a group of personal narratives. Then clear-cut directions are given showing how an alcoholic may recover. These are followed by more than a score of personal experiences. Each individual, in the personal stories, described in his own language and from his own point of view the way he found or rediscovered God.

Shoemaker expands on the Oxford Group principles of sin, surrender, conversion, confession, guidance, sharing and prayer in the stories found within this volume. The concluding chapter is titled appropriately “Thy Will Be Done”.

This book was listed on Oxford Group reading lists including the March 1939 The Calvary Evangel Oxford Literature List. It was widely read by members of the Oxford Group and many early AA members. The Oxford Group is where Bill W. first found sobriety prior to meeting Dr. Bob in 1935 and the eventual founding of AA. Both Dr. Bob and Bill, as well as many early AA members attended Oxford Group meetings in the early day.

As the American Leader of the Oxford Group movement he was living and working in New York City, therefore allowing Bill W. much access to this spiritual leader, through Group meetings, houseparties, personal meetings and correspondence. Shoemaker also addressed two of AA’s International Conventions, in St. Louis in 1955 and Long Beach, CA in 1960. Bill W. dubbed Shoemaker one of AA’s co-founders. Bill wrote in Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age:

It was from Sam Shoemaker that we absorbed most of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, steps that express the heart of AA’s way of life. Sam Shoemaker had given us the concrete knowledge of what we could do about it, he passed the spiritual keys by which we were liberated. The early AA got its ideas of self examination, acknowledgement of character defects, restitution for harm done, and working with others straight from the Oxford Group and directly from Sam Shoemaker, their former leader in America, and from nowhere else.

Upon Shoemaker’s death, Bill wrote a memorial article in the January 1964 AA Grapevine titled In Memory of Dr. Sam stating:

Our ideas of self-examination, acknowledgement of character defects, restitution for harm done and working with others came straight from Sam. Therefore he gave us he concrete knowledge of what we could do about our illness; he passed to us the spiritual keys by which so many of us have since been liberated.

Please check my other AA, Emmanuel Movement & Oxford Group Books