title: On wit, irony, and living with imperfection: how Britain said no to abstinence.
abstract: Christian perfection, the evangelical doctrine that gave rise to abstinence as it is understood and practiced in America, originated in Britain with John Wesley and the Methodists. We examine why that doctrine floundered in its country of origin, opening the door to a more pluralistic and evidence-based approach to problems such as alcohol and drug abuse. Although social and political factors were important (the stratification of British society stood in the way of holding everyone to the same moral standard, and the drink trade was far better organized than its American counterpart), Britain's intellectual elite also played a vital role, heaping ridicule on the temperance movement and subjecting it to a devastating critique.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St, T519, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada. jessica_warner@camh.net
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riviere
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carson
mesh_terms: D002835:Christianity / Q000266:history; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D013695:Temperance / Q000266:history*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic