Out of the fish tank: The impact of adventure programs as a catalyst for spiritual growth

This paper traces the growing body of research on spirituality and adventure education from implicit spirituality (non‐religious) to explicit spirituality (religious). Fowler's (1981) Stages of Faith is presented as a rationale for combining religious education and adventure activities. The paper then presents two sequential studies that examine the effects of religious education and adventure programming on the spiritual growth of adolescents. Quantitative and qualitative methods are used to investigate the short‐term and long‐term effects of Christian adventure programs. Results are filtered back through Fowler and other experiential education literature.