Nature, God, and Nation: Catholic Youth and the Natural World, 1910s - 1930s

An SJC Speaker Series Event with Dr. Indre Cuplinskas

When: Wednesday, January 24th, 2024 from 4:00 - 5:30pm

Where: SJC Boardroom and by Zoom (Register here!)

Anti-urban hiking, romantic poetry, colonization, and theories of evolution were all championed by Catholic youth in the first half of the 20th century as ways to engage the natural world. At a time when nature was not a prominent theme in the Catholic hierarchy's public pronouncements, the approach of Catholic youth in Europe and North America to nature reveals a surprising degree of heterogeneity. Yet despite the diversity, these youth did share a view of nature that highlighted God and nation.

Dr. Indre Cuplinskas is an Associate Professor at St. Joseph's College.