Alcohol Was My God

""The famous theologian Bernard Lonergan declared that reflection on spiritual transformation is the new foundation for genuine religious living. Dennis Dempsey provides us with a unique, deep look into two worlds: Alcoholics Anonymous and the Catholic Church. His narrative reveals the profound action of grace on his own self-destructive addiction, and the role that religious experience played in pivoting him into a new life. His story reveals his own attempt to integrate the spirituality of his twelve-step program with his re-commitment and rediscovery of his childhood Catholic faith. This is an honest, captivating account from someone who has been to Hell and back."" --John Dadosky, Professor of Philosophy and Theology, Regis-St. Michaels, University of Toronto ""This book is an intriguing testimony of how faith is at the same time an intellectual as well as an existential journey. It is marvelously written and combines the skills of brilliant storytelling with substantial theological reflection. Moreover, especially today it tells us how the Christian belief in a living God who reveals his mercy in Christ is intimately connected to a love for the church."" --Thomas Schärtl-Trendel, Chair of Fundamental Theology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich ""I cried reading Alcohol Was My God. I felt the hopelessness of the author in his darkest moments but also the helplessness of the people who loved him. If there is one message to take from this honest and non-romanticized account from alcohol addiction to living 'one day at a time, ' it is that hope, love, and faith are always waiting to embrace us, to re-embrace us, and to be embraced and re-embraced by us."" --Cristina Lledo Gomez, Senior Lecturer, The Australian Institute of Theological Education ""In this honest, moving narrative, Dennis Dempsey weaves the strands of Alcoholics Anonymous, his own story, and his Catholic faith into a tapestry that shows how grace works in a particular life. Admirably holding the messy realities of all three in tension, Alcohol Was My God probes the theological resonances of AA, making clear to this reader that there is much the Catholic Church could and should learn from AA."" M. Therese Lysaught, Professor, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago ""The famous theologian Bernard Lonergan declared that reflection on spiritual transformation is the new foundation for genuine religious living. Dennis Dempsey provides us with a unique, deep look into two worlds: Alcoholics Anonymous and the Catholic Church. His narrative reveals the profound action of grace on his own self-destructive addiction, and the role that religious experience played in pivoting him into a new life. His story reveals his own attempt to integrate the spirituality of his twelve-step program with his re-commitment and rediscovery of his childhood Catholic faith. This is an honest, captivating account from someone who has been to Hell and back."" --John Dadosky, Professor of Philosophy and Theology, Regis-St. Michaels, University of Toronto ""This book is an intriguing testimony of how faith is at the same time an intellectual as well as an existential journey. It is marvelously written and combines the skills of brilliant storytelling with substantial theological reflection. Moreover, especially today it tells us how the Christian belief in a living God who reveals his mercy in Christ is intimately connected to a love for the church."" --Thomas Schärtl-Trendel, Chair of Fundamental Theology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich ""I cried reading Alcohol Was My God. I felt the hopelessness of the author in his darkest moments but also the helplessness of the people who loved him. If there is one message to take from this honest and non-romanticized account from alcohol addiction to living 'one day at a time, ' it is that hope, love, and faith are always waiting to embrace us, to re-embrace us, and to be embraced and re-embraced by us."" --Cristina Lledo Gomez, Senior Lecturer, The Australian Institute of Theological Education ""In this honest, moving narrative, Dennis Dempsey weaves the strands of Alcoholics Anonymous, his own story, and his Catholic faith into a tapestry that shows how grace works in a particular life. Admirably holding the messy realities of all three in tension, Alcohol Was My God probes the theological resonances of AA, making clear to this reader that there is much the Catholic Church could and should learn from AA."" M. Therese Lysaught, Professor, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago