February 22, 2014
The Historical Continuum of Christian Rehab
Christian rehab is an addiction treatment solution that is being recognized as effective in the U.S. This is due to a rise in recovery ministries as well as recovery programs that were instated during the Bush administration. However, the idea of Christian drug treatment programs and Christian alcohol treatment programs is not a new revelation, but instead dates back to the colonizing of the U.S.
The first example of recovery through religion was observed in the 1700’s when Christian missionaries started to inspire Native American tribes to reject alcohol and switch to worshiping God. Through the late 1700’s, Christianity was used as a tool to combat alcoholism. Organizations like the Salvation Army started to found halls and houses to accommodate recuperating addicts in the Christian spirit of good works.
The early 1900’s saw the creation of the first medical facilities for dealing with disorders such as alcoholism, using Christianity within their practices. Secular researchers of the day studied the methods used by Christian rehab programs. Alcoholics Anonymous was formed in the 1930’s as well as a number of less known organizations and fellowships of Christian and spiritual origin. Within the 1950’s, grassroots organizations, usually starting in places of worship, grew to become a local, urban method of fighting addiction problems.
Christian groups against addiction kept growing between the 1970’s and the 1990’s, increasing in numbers as recuperating addicts became members of the movement. A new standard of awareness for how to overcome addiction was formed through Christian recovery groups during the twentieth century, for example modern intervention models and the redefining of addiction in various subcultures.
