"Proclaim Liberty to the Captives": Reflections on the Christian Contribution—Its Strengths and Vulnerabilities

ABSTRACT

Christians have played a significant and pioneering role in addressing substance use and supporting people on the journey of recovery. Drawing on the speaker’s experience leading addiction recovery work in the UK and Latin America, his book Hope in Addiction, and relationships with practitioners and organizations through the International Substance Abuse and Addiction Coalition (ISAAC), this presentation offers a personal, reflective exploration of the Christian contribution to the field.

The presentation will examine what Christian faith offers in addressing substance use, including the distinctive resources it brings to questions of meaning, identity, hope, belonging, and human transformation. It will also reflect honestly on the challenges and vulnerabilities that can arise when faith-based approaches engage with the complex realities of addiction and recovery.