Welcome, Cara Meredith, back to the podcast! Cara was so kind to join me waaay back in the early months of the podcast and now she’s been brave enough to do it again! The topic in this conversation is one that is near and dear (and complicated) to both of our hearts, and maybe yours too – church camp. For those (like my husband and producer) who may have never gone to American evangelical church camp, it is a unique experience, and while each camp is a little different, they each share some characteristics, namely a multi-day path to a conversion experience for campers. Cara, who has decades of experiences in and with church camps, from camper to counselor to speaker, unpacks some of the controversial, complex, and complicated experiences and feelings associated with those summer getaways many of us knew and loved (or hated or everywhere in between). Her new book Church Camp includes not just Cara’s stories, but stories of those who have been impacted by church camp. Whether you were ever a camper or not, there’s something for you in this conversation.
Mentioned in this episode:
Church Camp: Bad Skits, Cry Night, and How White Evangelicalism Betrayed a Generation by Cara Meredith
Ep. 216 with Phuc Luu on Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Ep. 282 with Andrew Rillera on the OT sacrificial system
Cara’s Substack
You might also enjoy:
Ep. 053 with Cara Meredith
Ep. 285 with Erin Hicks Moon
Ep. 206 with Kate Boyd