October 30, 2018 Dear Ecologgers: For those who are interested in the intersection of nature, religion, and culture, I’d like to announce the release of my new book titled, Nature and the Environment in Amish Life (Johns Hopkins University Press). My co-author, David McConnell, is an anthropologist, and we spent seven years conducting fieldwork in 35 Amish settlements across the U.S.
Below is the catalogue copy, but click here<http://theconversation.com/the-amish-live-simply-but-dont-confuse-them-with-environmentalists-101017> for a synopsis that just appeared in The Conversation. Thanks! Marilyn D. (Lyn) Loveless [email protected] Professor of Biology Emeritus Department of Biology The College of Wooster Wooster, OH 44691 The pastoral image of Amish communities living simply and in touch with the land strikes a deep chord with many Americans. Environmentalists have lauded the Amish as iconic models for a way of life that is local, self-sufficient, and in harmony with nature. But the Amish themselves do not always embrace their ecological reputation, and critics have long questioned the portrayal of the Amish as models of environmental stewardship. In Nature and the Environment in Amish Life, David L. McConnell and Marilyn D. Loveless examine how this prevailing notion of the environmentally conscious Amish fits with the changing realities of their lives. Drawing on 150 interviews conducted over the course of 7 years, as well as a survey of household resource use among Amish and non-Amish people, they explore how the Amish understand nature in their daily lives and how their actions impact the natural world. Arguing that there is considerable diversity in Amish engagements with nature at home, at school, at work, and outdoors, McConnell and Loveless show how the Amish response to regional and global environmental issues, such as watershed pollution and climate change, reveals their deep skepticism of environmentalists. They also demonstrate that Amish households are not uniformly lower in resource use compared to their rural, non-Amish neighbors, though aspects of their home economy are relatively self-sufficient. The first comprehensive study of Amish understandings of the natural world, this compelling book complicates the image of the Amish and provides a more realistic understanding of the Amish relationship with the environment. David L. McConnell is a professor of anthropology at the College of Wooster. He is a coauthor of An Amish Paradox: Diversity and Change in the World's Largest Amish Community. Marilyn D. Loveless is emeritus professor of biology at the College of Wooster. "McConnell and Loveless break new ground, presenting readers with a comprehensive narrative on a full range of Amish beliefs and practices about the environment, from agriculture and forestry to hunting and birding. Nowhere before has any single book discussed these topics so comprehensively."— Joseph F. Donnermeyer, The Ohio State University, coauthor of A Quiet Moment in Time: A Contemporary View of Amish Society "This trailblazing study shatters long-held stereotypes of Amish life. McConnell and Loveless's cross-disciplinary insights show the complexity of Amish entanglements with the natural environment. A spectacular achievement for its breadth, depth, readability, and nuanced scholarship."— Donald B. Kraybill, Elizabethtown College, author of The Riddle of Amish Culture "Highly original and substantial; there is no other book devoted entirely to examining Amish relations to nature. Writing in a lively, clear, and engaging way, McConnell and Loveless highlight the diversity of beliefs and behaviors within the category of people known as the Amish."— Jonathan G. Andelson, Grinnell College Center for Prairie Studies "This social-scientific study provides a fascinating window into, and judicious analysis of, the complex relationships between the Amish and their environment-related beliefs and practices. I highly recommend this volume both for its insights and as a model for mixed-methods research."— Bron Taylor, University of Florida, author of Dark Green Religion: Nature Spirituality and the Planetary Future and editor of the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture
