Author Meets Readers: Amanda Baugh’s Falling in Love With Nature: The Values of Latinx Catholic Environmentalism (New York University Press, 2024)

In Falling in Love with Nature: The Values of Latinx Catholic Environmentalism, Amanda Baugh tells the story of American environmentalism through a focus on Spanish-speaking Catholics, and in doing so uncovers a range of environmental actors who have been hidden in plain sight. She offers the concept of la tierra environmentalism to describe an embodied ethic of living lightly on the earth that is rooted in a sense of love and respect for God, fellow humans, and all of God’s creation. Its primary locus is in the home, but its concerns radiate outward and include awareness of human struggles and global ecological issues. This session brings together scholars from Catholic studies, the study of Latinx religions, and other fields, to discuss Baugh’s work in the context of broader themes in the study of Catholicism, environmental ethics, Latinx religions, and religion in public life. The session will include a response from the author, and time for audience engagement.