Useful Publications

                                             AA AGNOSTICA
A space for AA Agnostics, Atheists and Freethinkers Worldwide
http://aaagnostica.org aaagnostica@gmail.com

AA Agnostica began as a website in June of 2011 when two agnostic groups, Beyond Belief and We Agnostics, were booted out of the official AA meeting list in the Toronto area by the local Intergroup.

At first it was called AA Toronto Agnostics and its purpose was to share the times and locations of the two meetings for those alcoholics looking for less emphasis in recovery on God.

It grew very rapidly however and soon it was not only a popular website but also became a publisher of books for nonbelievers in AA. These books are available as paperbacks and eBooks at the usual online locations, such as Amazon, and at Recovery 101 (http://recovery101.ca). They are:

  • Do Tell: Stories by Atheists and Agnostics in AA. A “diverse and richly textured collection of (30) recovery stories by non-believers” in AA. (From the Foreword by Marya Hornbacher)
  • Key Players in AA History. Thirty two chapters that tell the stories of the early members and founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, such as Dr. William Silkworth, Jim Burwell, Marty Mann and, of course, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith.
  • Common Sense Recovery. “Adam has written an important essay, sharing his experience as an atheist in the Fellowship.” From the Foreword by Reverend Ward Ewing, past chair of the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous.
  • The Alternative 12 Steps: A Secular Guide to Recovery. A pioneering work, written in 1991. From Chapter 3: “We can learn the universal, generic pattern of life’s dance from the 12 Steps. But in our individual dance of life, we choose our own music and dance our own dance.”
  • Don’t Tell: Essays and Stories by Agnostics and Atheists in AA. “An important book for anyone interested in the future of Alcoholics Anonymous and the future of alcoholism recovery.” (From the Foreword by Ernie Kurtz and Bill White)
  • The Little Book: A Collection of Alternative 12 Steps. Twenty alternative versions of the 12 Steps, four secular interpretations of each of the Steps and an essay that traces the origins of the AA 12 Step recovery program.

    The following book was published not by AA Agnostica but rather by Rebellion Dogs Publishing
    (http://rebelliondogspublishing.com) and is highly recommended.

  • Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life. This is a book of daily reflections not just for nonbelievers and freethinkers in recovery, but for everyone. It was written by Joe C., one of the founders of the group mentioned above, Beyond Belief.

    Of course, if you like reading, AA Agnostica is a place for you! Its menu includes the popular Alternative 12 Steps as well as the ground breaking and revealing work A History of Agnostic Groups in AA.

    But most important are the stories (blogs) posted every Sunday (and sometimes on Wednesdays) on the website. They are written by a variety of men and women – all in recovery – from around the world. To date some 300 stories and essays have been published on AA Agnostica.
    And there are more to come.