The Oxford Group: Its History and Significance | Walter Houston Clark — First Printing, 1951 — Original Dust Jacket
Offered here is a First Printing of The Oxford Group: Its History and Significance by Walter Houston Clark, published by Bookman Associates in 1951. This copy retains its scarce original dust jacket.
Clark’s book is one of the more substantial academic studies of the Oxford Group, its founder Frank Buchman, and the religious movement that would later become known as Moral Re-Armament.
Rather than writing strictly as either an advocate or critic, Clark approached the Oxford Group as a scholar of religion and psychology. As he explained of the purpose of the study:
“We have tried to explain the Group in order that it may be understood, that its enemies may be a little less intolerant, its supporters a little more critical.”
The book examines the history and development of the movement, Buchman’s religious influences and methods, its expansion internationally, the controversies surrounding it, and the effect participation had upon individual members. Clark also incorporated case studies in an effort to evaluate the Oxford Group from a psychological and sociological perspective.
The Oxford Group & Alcoholics Anonymous
For collectors of Alcoholics Anonymous history, the Oxford Group occupies an especially important place in the story of A.A.’s development.
Before Alcoholics Anonymous existed, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith were both exposed to Oxford Group principles and practices, and the earliest alcoholics who eventually formed A.A. initially met within the Oxford Group environment.
Several ideas familiar within early A.A.—including personal inventory, admission of faults, restitution for past harms, reliance upon God, spiritual guidance, and carrying a message to others—have important connections to practices encountered through the Oxford Group.
As Alcoholics Anonymous developed its own identity during the late 1930s and early 1940s, it gradually separated from the Oxford Group. Nevertheless, understanding the Oxford Group provides valuable historical context for understanding the spiritual environment from which A.A. emerged.
Published in 1951, Clark’s study is particularly interesting because it appeared while many of the people involved in the formative years of both movements were still living and while the Oxford Group’s transformation into Moral Re-Armament was relatively recent.
About the Author
Walter Houston Clark (1902–1994) was an American psychologist of religion, educator, and scholar. His academic work focused particularly on religious experience and the psychological study of religion.
In The Oxford Group: Its History and Significance, Clark sought to examine the movement’s origins, leadership, beliefs, methods, controversies, and influence rather than simply defend or condemn it.
The original dust jacket describes the book as a study intended to provide an objective examination of a movement that had received both considerable praise and considerable criticism.
Edition Details
Title: The Oxford Group: Its History and Significance
Author: Walter Houston Clark
Publisher: Bookman Associates, New York
Publication Date: 1951
Edition: First Edition / First Printing
Format: Hardcover
Binding: Red cloth with gilt lettering
Dust Jacket: Original dust jacket present
Condition
The book itself is in very good condition, with attractive red cloth boards and bright gilt lettering to the front cover and spine. There is light age-related wear, primarily around the extremities.
The interior is clean and well preserved with no writing or markings observed. Pages show normal age toning but remain clean and readable, and the binding appears sound.
The original dust jacket is present and shows considerably more wear than the book, including edge wear, chipping, small tears, creasing, and areas of loss, particularly around the spine ends, corners, and upper edges. Despite the wear, the jacket remains substantially complete, including both flaps, and displays well with the book.
Please view all photographs carefully for the most accurate representation of condition.
Collector’s Note
For an Alcoholics Anonymous history collection, this is more than simply a book about a related religious movement. It is an early scholarly examination of one of the principal spiritual influences surrounding the birth of A.A.
The combination of the 1951 First Printing and surviving original dust jacket makes this an especially appealing example for collectors interested in the Oxford Group, Frank Buchman, Moral Re-Armament, and the spiritual and historical roots of Alcoholics Anonymous.
