Christianity and the Environment: A Look at the Effects of a Pre-orientation Wilderness Experience on Ecological Thoughtfulness in Participants

The central question of this research is: what are the attitudinal and behavioral effects of the Archways experience on the wilderness ethic, ecological awareness, and creation care of participants? Archways is a pre-orientation wilderness program for incoming students at a small Christian liberal-arts institution. The goals of the Archways experience include increasing self-confidence, building strong relationships, promoting meaningful spiritual experiences, and teaching a responsible wilderness ethic. A discussion on the pedagogies of adventure education and place-based education provides a context. Further contextualization involves a lengthy discussion of the relationship between Christianity in the United States and ecological problems. The research uses mixed methods to gather data and discussed the findings in a narrative style. Findings suggest that this program is having an effect on participants' awareness of the natural world. This is supported in the literature review which places awareness as a condition necessary to promote an appropriate relationship with the earth. It is also found that there may be connections between the way an individual perceives their right to possession of the earth and the way they choose to interact with it. Suggestions for program changes and improvements to this research project are included. The overall importance of the work looks at the bigger picture of the responsibility of Christians and adventure educators in responding to ecological issues facing the world today.