Dive into the intriguing history and evolution of the Serenity Prayer, its ties to Alcoholics Anonymous, and its various attributions over the centuries.
Did AA invent the Serenity Prayer?
The Serenity Prayer has been variously attributed to an ancient Sanskrit text, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi and others. Many AA members were first exposed to the prayer in 1948, when it was quoted in the Grapevine, an AA periodical.
Who invented the Serenity Prayer?
The reference to the Serenity Prayer comes at the end of the article: “Originally thought in Alcoholics Anonymous to have been written by St. Francis of Assisi, it turned out on recent research to have been the work of another eminent nonalcoholic, Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr, of Union Theological Seminary.
When did the Serenity Prayer become part of AA?
The prayer became published in English language newspapers much more from 1940, but never attributed to Wygal or Neibuhr. In June 1941, the prayer was published in an obituary in the New York Herald Tribune, and from here became known by the first Alcoholics Anonymous group.
Is the Serenity Prayer in the Big Book of AA?
It came to me that this is the spiritual axiom and the serenity prayer in the AA big book. I have written and talked about the spiritual axiom. It is in step 10 in the 12 and 12. The serenity prayer is said at almost every AA meeting.
What book is the Serenity Prayer in?
The serenity prayer first appeared in print as part of a sermon in the 1944 Book of Prayers and Services for the Armed Forces and was officially published by Niebuhr in 1951.
What is the definition of serenity in AA?
Serenity can be defined as a feeling of being calm and tranquil. When people feel serene they are untroubled by the normal daily niggles that make life uncomfortable.