Christianity and Outdoor Education
Christian Organizations:
| Christian Wilderness Leadership Coalition | -is an association of Christian educators who utilize outdoor settings for the purposes of ministry. It holds spring and fall conferences each year. The fall conference is conducted in a east cost state and the spring conference is conducted in a west coast state. | |
| -provides training for those who seek to use adventure education for ministry purposes. The Institute put on the Outdoor Leadership Lab that is an annual conference that provides ministry and technical skills training. | ||
| Christian Camping International | -an international organization that promotes Christian camps and retreat centers. | |
| Christian Adventure Education Colleges | -this is page on different colleges that provide adventure education or Christian camping classes. |
Christian Articles:
"Encountering God Through His Creation" by Dr. Philip J. Parker- thesis paper which examines how God is revealed through creation. Analysis is taken from a biblical, historical, and theological perspective. The paper also contains a research study of present day church membership beliefs and experiences. Conclusions contain recommendations for those who wish to pursue meaningful encounters with God through nature.
"Nature as a Means to Spiritual Growth" by T. Parker- research article on Christian organizations who utilize nature as a means to help foster spiritual growth. Topics include influences of practitioners, methods of instruction, and response of participants.
Secular Articles:
"On the Spiritual Benefits of Wilderness" by Baylor Johnson- Article discusses six spiritual benefits from a psychological perspective. These include: “the enduring”, “the sublime”, “beauty”, “competence”, “experience of peace”, and “self-forgetting.”
" The Spiritual Dimension of Wilderness: A Secular Approach for Resource Agencies" by Roger Kaye- article delineates the difference between organized religion and spirituality. Author reviews connections between wilderness experiences and spirituality as revealed through modern psychological research. Key terms in this field of psychology are explored. These include: transcendence, unitive experience, wilderness effect, perceptual shift, flow, and solitude. Article concludes by recommending that government agencies further explore how their provision of wilderness areas provide for societies spiritual needs.
"The Soul of Environmental Activists" by Barbara McDonald- presents the relationship between spiritual beliefs and wilderness experiences as expressed by modern day environmentalist.
Related Link:
What is Experiential Education?