Description

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Father Ed is the first biography of Father Edward Dowling, SJ, whose guidance transformed Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson's life and deepened the spirituality of the twelve-step movement. Bill Wilson's legacy is one of the greatest of any person of modern times. Time magazine placed him at No. 20 on its list of the most important people of the 20th century. But whenever Wilson himself had the opportunity to name the greatest human being he had ever met, he had but one Father Edward Dowling. Jesuit Father Ed Dowling (1898-1960) rescued Bill Wilson from debilitating depression and gave him the spiritual guidance he needed to bring AA to international prominence. Although not an alcoholic himself, he came to devote his ministry to helping people in recovery-not only alcoholics but also people in troubled marriages (as a co-founder of the Cana Conference) and those suffering from nervous disorders (as an early champion of Recovery, Inc., now known as Recovery International). He was also a champion of civil rights and other social-justice issues, and his pastoral interests presaged the priorities of the Church under Pope Francis.

About the Author

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Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D., is the award-winning author of several books, most recently Father Ed: The Story of Bill W.'s Spiritual Sponsor. Under the pen name Dawn Eden, she wrote popular works on personal growth and spirituality, including My Peace I Give You, The Thrill of the Chaste, and Remembering God's Mercy. She began her working life as a rock-and-roll historian and went on to editorial positions at the New York Post and the Daily News before publishing her first book in 2006. In 2016, she became the first woman to earn a doctorate in sacred theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. Her book Remembering God's Mercy won First Place in the Inspirational category of the Association of Catholic Publishers 2017 Excellence in Publishing Awards. She lives in Washington, D.C., and has taught at universities and seminaries in the United States, England, and India. Follow her on Twitter @dawnofmercy.