Is Alcoholics Anonymous a religious organization?: meditations on marginality

Argues that both the religious features of A.A. and the denial of A.A.'s religious nature are integral to the structure and functioning of the organization. As an identity change organization, A.A. encapsulates its members and creates an atmosphere in which members are likely to experience a sense of 'institutionalized awe' for the power of the group. A.A. is properly classified as a quasi-religion. (Abstract amended)