For many kids from white Evangelical families, church camp is often the place to inherit a toxic image of God and each other. From purity-motivated admonitions not to “make purple,” to the emotional manipulation of “Cry Night,” to the utter lack of diversity among campers and staff, the culture of white Evangelical camps has too often betrayed a generation.

This book exposes the ways these camps sold individualized versions of Jesus to impressionable youth. Campers are forced to “sit with their sin” to fully understand God’s conditional love. Camp life emotionally coaxes campers into making a formative commitment to Christ (and therefore to white Evangelical subculture). Furthermore, camps commodify the faith of these young people to bolster their own funding and power.

Whether you loved camp or hated it, whether you even went or not, this book will help you envision a more vibrant, loving, and inclusive faith by peeling back the layers and holding the powerful accountable.