In modern society many men – and not a few women – are seriously and dangerously out of touch with their emotions. Opportunities abound to isolate and to self-medicate. When an addict or an alcoholic begins recovery many of us find ourselves emotionally vulnerable and emotionally immature. This series focuses on some reasons this comes about and offers methods and exercises for connecting with and caring for our emotional selves. Father Bill interviews therapist Laura Jones Swann, author of Men ...
Nov 13, 2024•55 min•Season 35Ep. 1
Fr. Bill interviews Jungian analyst and author of The War of the Gods in Addiction David Schoen. The conversation centers on the underlying, and often overlooked, psychic elements uniquely present in addiction and the 12-Step pathway that seems specifically designed to overcome them. Show Notes: The War of the Gods in Addiction Copy of the Letters Between Wilson and Jung...
Nov 06, 2024•40 min•Season 30Ep. 2
A book I’ve often returned to over and over is Thomas R. Kelly’s A Testament of Devotion. Kelly was a Quaker and a mystic. His book centers on what the Big Book calls “the Great Reality within.” Since it’s a Greater Reality we can never fully understand it – but we can certainly experience it – and mystics like Kelly come as close as humans can come to describing what such an experience - and still more – what a such relationship is like. In this final episode Fr. Bill goes further into Kelly’s ...
Oct 30, 2024•40 min•Season 33Ep. 7
A book I’ve often returned to over and over is Thomas R. Kelly’s A Testament of Devotion. Kelly was a Quaker and a mystic. His book centers on what the Big Book calls “the Great Reality within.” Since it’s a Greater Reality we can never fully understand it – but we can certainly experience it – and mystics like Kelly come as close as humans can come to describing what such an experience - and still more – what a such relationship is like. In this episode Fr. Bill goes further into Kelly’s chapte...
Oct 19, 2024•42 min•Season 33Ep. 6
A book I’ve often returned to over and over is Thomas R. Kelly’s A Testament of Devotion. Kelly was a Quaker and a mystic. His book centers on what the Big Book calls “the Great Reality within.” Since it’s a Greater Reality we can never fully understand it – but we can certainly experience it – and mystics like Kelly come as close as humans can come to describing what such an experience - and still more – what a such relationship is like. In this episode Fr. Bill goes further into Kelly’s chapte...
Oct 12, 2024•46 min•Season 33Ep. 4
A book I’ve often returned to over and over is Thomas R. Kelly’s A Testament of Devotion. Kelly was a Quaker and a mystic. His book centers on what the Big Book calls “the Great Reality within.” Since it’s a Greater Reality we can never fully understand it – but we can certainly experience it – and mystics like Kelly come as close as humans can come to describing what such an experience - and still more – what a such relationship is like. In this episode Fr. Bill goes further into Kelly’s chapte...
Sep 28, 2024•40 min•Season 33Ep. 4
A book I’ve often returned to over and over is Thomas R. Kelly’s A Testament of Devotion. Kelly was a Quaker and a mystic. His book centers on what the Big Book calls “the Great Reality within.” Since it’s a Greater Reality we can never understand it – but we can experience it – and mystics like Kelly come as close as humans can come to describing what such an experience - and still more – what such a relationship is like. In this episode, Fr. Bill focuses on Kelly’s second chapter: Holy Obedien...
Sep 21, 2024•29 min•Season 33Ep. 3
A book I’ve often returned to in my morning Quiet Times is Thomas R. Kelly’s A Testament of Devotion. Kelly was a Quaker and a mystic. His book centers on what the Big Book calls “the Great Reality within.” Since it’s a Greater Reality we can never understand it – but we can experience it – and mystics like Kelly come as close as humans can come to describing what such an experience - and still more – what such a relationship is like. In this episode Fr. Bill focuses on Kelly’s first chapter: Th...
Sep 14, 2024•25 min•Season 31Ep. 2
Many early AAs were prolific readers. Dr. Bob left a library overflowing with spiritual literature and for Oxford Group members spiritual reading formed an important part of their daily morning quiet times. When I’m asked, “What books do you recommend?” to read before doing Two Way Prayer, I’m hesitant to answer as we’re each very different. But, for me, there's one book I’ve returned to several times and it never fails to speak to the deepest longings of my soul. The Big Book says the Great Rea...
Sep 04, 2024•31 min•Season 33Ep. 1
In this Golden Oldie, Father Bill interviews Professor William Miller, author of Quantum Change: When Epiphanies and Sudden Insights Transform Ordinary Lives. Listen as the professor reflects on his in-depth study of psychic change. It’s a lively discussion of spirituality and science. Quantum Change: When Epiphanies and Sudden Insights Transform Ordinary Lives by William Miller https://williamrmiller.net/quantum-change/...
Aug 31, 2024•26 min•Season 32Ep. 1
Description : Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and the AA Pioneers found sobriety primarily by working the principles and practices of the Oxford Group and adapting them to meet the needs of alcoholics. This series traces that early history. It draws from the 1980 AA publication Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers. Fr. Bill’s guest is recovery archivist Matt D. from the 12-Step Fellowship All Addicts Anonymous. In this final episode they focus on Dr. Bob’s legacy to AA. Show Notes: Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers...
Aug 24, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 31Ep. 7
Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and the AA Pioneers became sober primarily by working the principles and practices of the Oxford Group and adapting them to meet the needs of alcoholics. This series traces that early history. It draws from the 1980 AA publication Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers. Fr. Bill’s guest is recovery archivist Matt D. from the 12-Step Fellowship All Addicts Anonymous. In this sixth episode they explore Chapters 15 through 18 as AA meetings evolve in Akron and Cleveland where Dr. Bob’s...
Aug 17, 2024•54 min•Season 31Ep. 6
Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and the AA pioneers gained their sobriety primarily by working the principles found in the Oxford Group and adapting them to the special needs of alcoholics. This series traces that early history. It draws from the 1980 AA publication Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers. Fr. Bill’s guest is recovery archivist Matt D. from the 12-Step Fellowship All Addicts Anonymous. In this fifth episode they explore Chapters 12,13, and 14 as the alcoholics in the Midwest strike out on their own...
Aug 10, 2024•55 min•Season 31Ep. 5
Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and the AA pioneers gained their sobriety primarily by working the principles found in the Oxford Group and adapting them to the special needs of alcoholics. This series traces that early history. It draws from the 1980 AA publication Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers. Fr. Bill’s guest is recovery archivist Matt D. from the 12-Step Fellowship All Addicts Anonymous. In this fourth episode they explore Chapters 9,10 and11 as the original program starts to take shape. Show Notes: ...
Aug 03, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 31Ep. 4
Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and the AA pioneers gained their sobriety primarily by working the principles found in the Oxford Group and adapting them to the special needs of alcoholics. This series traces that early history. It draws from the 1980 AA publication Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers. Fr. Bill’s guest is recovery archivist Matt D. from the 12-Step Fellowship All Addicts Anonymous. In this third episode they explore Chapters 7 and 8 as the co-founders go to work on AA number Three and chart the...
Jul 24, 2024•53 min•Season 31Ep. 3
Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and the AA pioneers gained their sobriety by working the principles found in the Oxford Group and adapting them to the special needs of alcoholics. This series traces this early history. It draws from the 1980 AA publication Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers. Fr. Bill’s guest is recovery archivist Matt D. from the 12-Step Fellowship All Addicts Anonymous. In this episode they explore the two year period when Bob was faithfully attending Oxford Group meetings but unable to stay ...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr•Season 31Ep. 1
A recovery program for alcoholics existed before the Big Book was written, and before the 12 Steps ever came to be. Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and the original members of AA gained their sobriety by working the principles and practices found in the Oxford Group and adapting them to the special needs of alcoholics. This series traces some of this early history. It draws from the 1980 AA publication Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers. Fr. Bill’s guest is recovery archivist Matt D. from the 12-Step Fellowshi...
Jul 10, 2024•35 min•Season 32Ep. 1
Two Way Prayer is only a part of a longer morning Quiet Time. In this final episode of a two-part series Fr. Bill explores a pamphlet by Howard J. Rose that’s titled: The Quite Time. The short pamphlet was popular among members of the Oxford Group and early AA. It gives an overview of the Morning Quiet Time practice covering five areas: 1.) The Facts of God’s Guidance. 2.) The Conditions of God’s Guidance 3.) The Tests of God’s Guidance 4.) One Method of receiving God’s Guidance 5.) The Results ...
Jun 29, 2024•30 min•Season 31Ep. 2
Two Way Prayer is only a part of a longer morning Quiet Time. In the following two episodes Fr. Bill explores a pamphlet by Howard J. Rose that’s titled simply: The Quite Time. The short pamphlet was popular among members of the Oxford Group and early AA. It gives an overview of the Morning Quiet Time practice covering five areas: 1.) The Facts of God’s Guidance. 2.) The Conditions of God’s Guidance 3.) The Tests of God’s Guidance 4.) One Method of receiving God’s Guidance 5.) The Results of God...
Jun 22, 2024•39 min•Season 31Ep. 1
Many in recovery find Buddhist philosophy and meditation a tremendous aid to their spiritual journey. Fr. Bill’s guest is Kevin G. a gifted Buddhist author and teacher in long term recovery from addiction. Kevin is the author One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps. The Buddha’s enlightenment and Kevin’s simple teaching style have much to offer addicts in the ongoing search to overcome our suffering. See the links below to contact Kevin directly. Show Notes: Kevin’s website: www.kevi...
Jun 15, 2024•28 min•Season 30Ep. 1
We live in an age when the meaning and purpose of life are often less clear than ever before. An age when we’re asking questions of doctors we should be asking priests - but few priests seem able to provide meaningful answers to today’s spiritual seekers. Enter Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist whose pioneering work known as Logotherapy has helped millions of suffering men and women begin asking the right questions of life and finding answers that satisfy their souls. In this serie...
Jun 05, 2024•54 min•Season 29Ep. 7
We live in an age when the meaning and purpose of life are often less clear than ever before. An age when we’re asking questions of doctors we should be asking priests - but few priests seem able to provide meaningful answers to today’s spiritual seekers. Enter Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist whose pioneering work known as Logotherapy has helped millions of suffering men and women begin asking the right questions of life and finding answers that satisfy their souls. In this serie...
May 29, 2024•54 min•Season 29Ep. 6
We live in an age when the meaning and purpose of life are often less clear than ever before. An age when we’re asking questions of doctors we should be asking priests - but few priests seem able to provide meaningful answers to today’s spiritual seekers. Enter Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist whose pioneering work known as Logotherapy has helped millions of suffering men and women begin asking the right questions of life and finding answers that satisfy their souls. In this serie...
May 22, 2024•49 min•Season 29Ep. 5
We live in an age when the meaning and purpose of life are often less clear than ever before. An age when we’re asking questions of doctors we should be asking priests - but few priests seem able to provide meaningful answers to today’s spiritual seekers. Enter Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist whose pioneering work known as Logotherapy has helped millions of suffering men and women begin asking the right questions of life and finding answers that satisfy their souls. In this serie...
May 15, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 29Ep. 4
We live in an age when the meaning and purpose of life are often less clear than ever before. An age when we’re asking questions of doctors we should be asking priests - but few priests seem able to provide meaningful answers to today’s spiritual seekers. Enter Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist whose pioneering work known as Logotherapy has helped millions of suffering men and women begin asking the right questions of life and finding answers that satisfy their souls. In this serie...
May 08, 2024•57 min•Season 29Ep. 3
We live in an age when the meaning and purpose of life are often less clear than ever before. An age when we’re asking questions of doctors we should be asking priests - but few priests seem able to provide meaningful answers to today’s spiritual seekers. Enter Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist whose pioneering work known as Logotherapy has helped millions of suffering men and women begin asking the right questions of life and finding answers that satisfy their souls. In this serie...
May 01, 2024•49 min•Season 29Ep. 2
We live in an age when the meaning and purpose of life are often less clear than ever before. An age when we’re asking questions of doctors we should be asking priests - but fewer priests seem able to provide meaningful answers to today’s spiritual seekers. Enter Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist whose pioneering work known as Logotherapy has helped millions of suffering men and women begin asking the right questions of life and finding answers that satisfy their souls. In this ser...
Apr 20, 2024•53 min•Season 30Ep. 1
Tom will be my guest for an upcoming series focused on the work of psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. Serving both as a therapist and university instructor practicing in Reno, Nevada, Tom’s interest in Frankl’s Logotherapy extends back many years and he has a special gift for making Frankl’s work accessible to people in recovery. This recording was an interview we did several years ago when I appeared on Tom’s long-running TV series. In the upcoming series we’ll be exploring Frankl’s book: The Doctor a...
Apr 13, 2024•31 min•Season 29Ep. 1
The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination. The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and throu...
Apr 03, 2024•53 min•Season 28Ep. 10
The series explores the book SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION by Dr. George E. Vaillant. The author was a psychiatrist at Harvard and served as a non-alcoholic Trustee for Alcoholics Anonymous. Spirituality can be a hard concept to grasp, and his book helps make it understandable. He defines spirituality as the realization of positive emotions such as love, hope, faith, joy, forgiveness, and compassion – along with awe and mystical illumination . The author argues our brains are hard wired for these and thro...
Mar 20, 2024•52 min•Season 28Ep. 9
