WORDS
Recently, I came across a recent history of how the subject of addiction has been viewed and treated over the last few centuries. I thought I would write a piece and it would be fairly straightforward. I became very quickly swamped by etymology and the difference in how the subject, and the people affected by it, have been perceived and handled over hundreds of years. As I was wading through, some threads of our modern understanding of addiction did begin to unravel. Also, thoughts about how essential it is that we, as local church bodies, bring a biblical understanding of God, man, the world and the battle we are in, into this very prevalent and often very dark, isolated area of our world. Only the local church body and people, who know and have lived out the truth of Christ, can speak true freedom into the lives of those struggling with compulsive and enslaving habits.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8: 31-32 ESV
Slavery and Binding Judgement
The origins of the word, addiction, come from the word, addicere from two latin words, dicere and ad, meaning to speak to or adjudge. It was used legally to judge, condemn or bind someone to someone else usually as a payment for a debt owed. In Roman courts this word was used to describe enslavement through a court ruling. This often meant a loss of citizenship and one’s personhood. The individual was known as addictus, and led off in chains until he could repay the debt.
Addictus
There is a myth surrounding a man called Addictus, who was a slave, who one day was set free by his master. He, however, was so used to his chains that he could not take them off even though in reality he was completely free. How true this can be in the world of addictive behaviours. Many of our dear participants over the years had made a commitment to Jesus, but they continued to live in their habits and not in the freedom our Lord Jesus had bought for them and us on the cross and in rising again to give them and us a new life in Him.
Divination, Shame and Disgrace
During the Roman period addicere was used as a very strong word to indicate the words that a god might speak through a mediator, for example a king might use the medium of birds to give an edict to go to war or not. This word was strongly linked with divination. The word could convey both positive and a negative; divine approval through divination and the opposite shame and disgrace through enslavement. Gambling was a pastime that could demonstrate both of these traits; dice and lots to discover the will of the gods and enslavement when debts could not be paid. The past tense addictus conveyed the meaning of devotion to, betrayal, sell out to, abandon or sacrifice.
Attachment
Later, in the Elizabethan age and Shakespeare, addiction was linked with a strong attachment to something or someone and in 1655 Thomas Fuller wrote in his “The Church History of Britain,” we sincerely addict ourselves to Almighty God.” As time moved on words such as, commitment to, devotion, inclination, tendency or even a preference for were connection with addiction. Medical metaphors were beginning to be used to convey the seriousness of attachments to wrong or damaging objects. These became the origin of a future disease model. Later: The National Anti-Gambling League, which was founded in England toward the end of the 19th century, compared gambling to cancer, leprosy, a deadly virus, and a poison that had infected the populace (Dixon Citation1980).
Compulsion
There was a confusing co-existence of the positive and negative and a tension between the early active and passive meanings traced from early Roman times (speaking out verdicts and binding rulings and the enslavement of those receiving these rulings). Later this confusion of the usage and description of addiction moved into both obligation and choice working side by side with a sense of compulsion in the mix.
Choice, Excess and Away from God
Preference and choice became themes among the English reformers, and the word addict was used to signify a person’s doctrinal choice or preference. Later the reformers grew the meaning behind this word from the importance and consequences of choices made (doctrinally) to the dangers of wrong choices and being led down a wrong path away from God. This led to the physical realm, where addiction to pleasures like gluttony and drunkenness were mentioned. This moved into not just the choice to engage in the excess of worldly pleasures but also simply the pursuit of these pleasures.
A Wrong Path Away from God
I am left with the contemplation of where I myself, as a believer, stand with my own habits and also my fellow brothers and sisters. The realisation has deepened that I cannot walk this path alone; I need continual help to walk on the right path towards God! I also need daily prayer and the choice to stay in God’s Word.
This is a subject that impacts us all, from the inside out.
If you are interested in how your local church could begin to consider coming alongside people, struggling with life-controlling addictive habits, check out our Events page and come along to a webinar or even try out one of the 10 Free! Recovery Sessions. Great for signposting as well!
Part Two will delve in to modern history and how addiction has been considered and treated in more recent years.
References:
Rosenthal, R. J., & Faris, S. B. (2019). The etymology and early history of ‘addiction.’ Addiction Research & Theory, 27(5), 437–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2018.1543412
Sally Childress PHD
co-founder of Free! Recovery