The Nature of Church Camp is a smart, and ethically sensitive, exploration of the history of Protestant environmentalist thinking through the distinctive lens of camp ministry. Indeed, Christopher Anderson’s gracefully written book compellingly illuminates parts of American history that most scholars, or ordinary folks, don’t even think of as 'history.'

Robert D. Johnston, University of Illinois Chicago

Doing yeoman's work in visiting outdoor liberal Protestant church camps across the country, Christopher Anderson has uncovered a revealing story about American Protestantism's engagement with nature, showing how selective nostalgia and instrumental 'stewardship' allowed church camps to ignore or, at best, hardly engage with the climate crisis that appeared all around them.

Kevin M. Schultz, University of Illinois Chicago

In this accessible, insightful, and engaging work, Christopher Anderson has addressed a timely issue regarding how we think about the human being in relation to the wider world of nature. He thoughtfully critiques anthropocentrism and individualism showing how these habits of thought have been destructive of our ecological sensibilities. Anderson holds out an alternative vision that is humble and wholistic—one that could transform our relation with the natural world.

The author brings these issues down to earth with a focus on the history of outdoor ministry in relation to environmental issues. He traces transitions and paradigm shifts skillfully and he even-handedly employs a wide range of sources and perspectives. Interrogating protestant Christianity and American environmentalism, Anderson reflects critically on the limitations of past practices. At the same time, he offers better possibilities. This fine work is a must read for all who want to exercise transformative leadership in finding a way forward in this important work.

Anna Case-Winters, McCormick Theological Seminary

In this accessible, insightful, and engaging work, Christopher Anderson has addressed a timely issue regarding how we think about the human being in relation to the wider world of nature. He thoughtfully critiques anthropocentrism and individualism showing how these habits of thought have been destructive of our ecological sensibilities. This fine work is a must read for all who want to exercise transformative leadership in finding a way forward in this important work.

Anna Case-Winters, McCormick Theological Seminary

For much of the twentieth century, American children learned about religion and the natural environment while attending residential summer camps. The Nature of Church Camp surveys the history of these camps and experiences of campers themselves. It shines a new light on the origins and limits of Protestant environmentalism in the United States, in an important exploration of the intersection of religious and environmental history.

Christopher R. Boyer, Northern Arizona University