Touching the World: Christian Communities Transforming Society

Touching the World examines two transformative Christian movements—Camphill and the Catholic Worker—through theological and ethnographic research. McKanan draws on interviews, archival work, and direct observation across twenty-plus communities to reveal how these networks create meaningful change. Camphill's worldwide villages integrate people with and without developmental disabilities in shared agricultural life, rooted in Steiner's Christian vision. The Catholic Worker movement, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, operates nearly two hundred urban hospitality houses and farms. Together, these movements demonstrate how intentional Christian community addresses spiritual calling and social need in a complex world.