WHY CERTAIN WORDS ARE CAPITALIZED ON PAGES 53,55 & 56
On 02/10/02 at a Big Book study the question arose of why and the meaning of the following words being capitalized:
pg 53, par 3, line 3 "Bridge of Reason"
pg 53, par 3, line 5 "New Land"
pg 53, par 3, lines 8,10 "Reason"
pg 53, par 4, line 7 "God of Reason"
pg 55, par 4, line 5 "Broad Highway"
pg 56, par 4, line 3 "Presence of God"
pg 56, par 4, line 6 "Presence of Infinite Power and Love"
That night I posted to an on line AA group "Lamplighters <lls@simplelist.com>" and recevied the following replys:
Proper nouns are always capitalized. Therefore, by capitallizing, it is refeerring to a specific person, place or thing.
"Stephanie Burgers" <bigbooklover@msn.com>
...he's using these as proper names, not descriptive nouns.
"Glenn Hefley" <glennh@webadept.net>
Bill Wilson was not an English scholar. Searching the BB for hidden meaning in what are in fact errors of syntax, punctuation and just bad usage is like doing the same thing with the bible. These books are meant to give hope and guidance, not to be seen as literature or even as good writing. Here's another possible explanation: they were a stylistic device of the era. Nowadays we use this device sarcastically, as in "Former dotcommers are looking for The Next Big Thing," but back then it was probably used in a straightforward manner for emphasis.
"Arkie Koehl" <arkie@hawaii.rr.com>
It is my understanding that they are all capitalized becauses they are other terms used for God.
"BCPeachy" <bcpeachy@shaw.ca>
I don't necessarily believe they are additional references to God, but simply for emphases of an idea.
"Mickey" <mickeyjay.honesty@verizon.net>
It's a guess, but I believe it goes back to the Judeoteaching, "Bridge of Reason" Jesus Christ bridge between God and Man "New Land" Heaven or Heavenly Jerusalem, or Jerusalem from above, Promised Land. The capitalized words in biblical teaching always refer to diety in it's numerous aspects. Reason capitalized could be God, God's way and of course the "Presence of Infinite Power and Love" God is seen as total love and power. This whole section is realization of a God most of us never
knew or believed in. wdick@sprint.ca
"Wayne" <wdick@sprint.ca>
My understanding is that the above examples are capitalized because when read in context they refer in each instance to a belief that constitutes HIGHER POWER. I suppose the"god of reason" would usually appear thusly...small "g". The capitals serve dual duty. Emphasis and God as we understand or understood.
Lee F." <lee007@shaw.ca>
It is my understanding that they are all capitalized becauses they are other terms used for God.
Russ Hall <rusty.h@sk.sympatico.ca>
In the 1930s, capitals were used more often than they are today. A common practice back then was to capitalize words used figuratively, as in most or all of these examples {see above list}. That is, when language is used to illustrate how a concept works by having it walk around or do stuff that normally only humans or other living critters can do, then the style in bygone days was to use capitals, just as one would for a person's name. It doesn't mean these ideas were the same as gods back then, or were synonyms for God to Bill W. or others among the first AA members. No need to confuse style with content here. Today, a mostly "down" style of writing is popular in magazines and books, which means the style is to use as few capital letters as possible. But that's just what is "in" today.
"Mo" <CactusAA@aol.com>