Liberty Magazine from April 1938 - Oxford Group and Sex Problems

Liberty Magazine from April 1938 - Oxford Group and Sex Problems by Liberty Editor in Chief Fulton Oursler

Title: Liberty Magazine – April 2, 1938

Publisher: Macfadden Publications

Publication Date: April 2, 1938

Pages: Approx. 64

Condition: Good – cover shows light edge and corner wear, faint staining along bottom edge, light handling marks; interior pages clean with age toning; binding secure. Please review photos for exact condition details.

Featured Article: “The Oxford Group and Sex Problems”

This issue of Liberty magazine contains a letter by the Editor in Chief of Liberty Magazine, Fulton Oursler, responding to negative reactions to the previous features in Liberty about the Oxford Group. Several negative reactions were in response to how the Oxford Group deals with sex problems. Oursler informs the readers that writer Emily Newell Blair, is preparing an article titled “How the Oxford Group Deals with Sex Problems” to be published in the April 9, 1938 issue of Liberty.

In this piece, Oursler addresses one of the most sensitive criticisms of the Oxford Group at the time—its handling of sexual morality. Drawing on letters from readers and critics, the article examines whether the Group’s public confessions and approach to personal issues, including sex, crossed into sensationalism or religious zealotry. It frames the Oxford Group as both a source of inspiration and controversy, sparking national debate in the late 1930s about its role in American spiritual life.

For historians, this article is particularly noteworthy as the Oxford Group’s influence would later inspire the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous, which adapted many of its principles while distancing itself from the controversies highlighted here.

Collector’s Significance

• Rare Coverage: Liberty was one of the few mainstream magazines of the 1930s to cover the Oxford Group so candidly.
• AA Connection: Provides cultural context on the Oxford Group’s practices shortly before the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935 and its growth thereafter.
• Historical Debate: Captures public sentiment about the Group’s blend of morality, confession, and religious fervor.
• Condition: Solid, collectible copy with wear consistent with age, intact and well-preserved overall.

This issue represents an important cultural artifact, documenting the controversies surrounding the Oxford Group during its peak influence and its role in shaping one of the most significant recovery movements of the 20th century.