The Church Can Save The World by Samuel M. Shoemaker
The Church Can Save The World by Samuel M. Shoemaker. The copyright page indicates that this book is a First Edition that was published in 1938.
This book is in very good condition. The book is fully intact, pages are clean with normal toning for its age. The original dust jacket has some tears around the edges.
About the book from the Foreword:
”I have written this book because I believe that the only answer to the mounting needs and perils of the world is a spiritual answer - God's answer.
I believe that what we need more than anything else is a spiritual mass-movement: millions of men and women in personal touch with God, and united in a spiritual army which God can mobilize.
I believe we can get it.
I believe that the churches are the natural place (though by no means the only place) to look for this kind of force: and that there are within them tons of spiritual dynamite, in moral and spiritual conviction, waiting for some fire to set it off.
I believe that the real Church is the force of people
God can mobilize because they are available to Him.”
—
Samuel Shoemaker was a prominent American Episcopal priest and a key figure in the Oxford Group movement, which later influenced the development of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other Twelve Step programs. Born on December 27, 1893, in Baltimore, Maryland, Shoemaker was raised in a family with a strong Christian background.
Shoemaker studied at Princeton University and later attended Virginia Theological Seminary, where he was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1917. He served in various parishes before becoming the rector of Calvary Church in New York City in 1925, where he remained for over twenty years.
In the early 1930s, Shoemaker became involved with the Oxford Group, an informal Christian fellowship founded by Frank Buchman. The Oxford Group emphasized spiritual principles such as honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love, and it sought to bring about personal transformation through spiritual practices such as self-examination, confession, and surrender to God's will.
Shoemaker's involvement with the Oxford Group profoundly influenced his ministry and preaching style. He became known for his dynamic sermons, which emphasized the need for individuals to experience a personal encounter with God and to live out their faith in practical ways.
One of Shoemaker's most significant contributions was his role in introducing the principles of the Oxford Group to Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Shoemaker and other members of the Oxford Group had a significant influence on the early development of AA, particularly in shaping its spiritual foundations and emphasis on personal transformation. Bill W. wrote: “Dr. Sam Shoemaker was one of A.A.’s indispensables. Had it not been for his ministry to us in our early time, our Fellowship would not be in existence today.”
Throughout his life, Shoemaker remained dedicated to ministry and spiritual renewal. He authored numerous books and articles on Christian spirituality, including "Realizing Religion." He also played a key role in the founding of the Spiritual Mobilization movement in the 1940s, which sought to promote spiritual values in American society.
Samuel Shoemaker passed away on October 31, 1963, leaving behind a legacy of spiritual insight and compassionate ministry. He is remembered as a pioneer in the field of Christian spirituality and as a guiding figure in the early history of Alcoholics Anonymous.
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