The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe appeared in 1719. Along with its reflections on morals and affections toward God, possibly its greatest contribution is that it is a fictional tale about a non-fictional truth: that adventure is intrinsically valuable because it teaches people that they are capable of overcoming even the most difficult of circumstances.
In 1996, wilderness and outdoor education specialists gathered at the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute in Bradford Woods, Indiana, to explore the daring question of what composes an authentic wilderness experience.
In a week-long wilderness experience you will typically spend as much time with a person as you would during a twelve-month period of typical ministry activities back at home. As a result, people usually open up more because of spending so much time on the log.
The wilderness is an ideal setting for giving people space to change wrong ways of thinking or to anchor their whole identity to Jesus.
Gary Fawver is one of the most respected Christian outdoor leaders of this century. Gary is Professor Emeritus at George Fox University and strong ties to Outward Bound. I respect Gary's review of my book on outdoor ministry as much as anyone's. The insight he offers...
