Friday, November 20, 2015

Fr. Ralph Pfau and His Golden Books


Fr. Ralph Pfau (1904-1967) was the first U.S. Catholic priest to join Alcoholics Anonymous in 1943, on his 39th birthday. His “Golden Books” were published under the auspices of the "Society of Matt Talbot Guild." He founded an organization called the "Sons of Matt Talbot" for recovering alcoholics who wanted to learn more about the Catholic faith.
 

Professor Emeritus Glenn F. Chesnut has just released his Father Ralph Pfau and the Golden Books: The Path to Recovery from Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (October 2015), which can be downloaded at http://www.hindsfoot.org/pfcath.pdf
 
Table of Contents
1. Ralph Pfau (“Father John Doe”) as Major Twelve-Step Leader
2. Early Life 
3. The Myth of Perfection, Natural Theology, and St.  Augustine 
4. Abraham Low and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 
5. Forgiveness and Acceptance: Receiving God’s Sanction 
6. Simple Sanctity and the Little Way of St. Thérèse 
7. Winning Acceptance for A.A. within the Catholic Hierarchy 
8  Later Life 
9. Seeking Balance among the Natural Instincts
10. The Hierarchy of Spiritual Values 
11. The Higher Power as Truth Itself 
12. Making a Decision