Barry A. Vann
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Barry Aron Vann (born March 30, 1960) is an American author, speaker, and retired Dean of Behavioral and Social Sciences at
Colorado Christian University Colorado Christian University (CCU) is a private Christian university in Lakewood, Colorado, United States. CCU was founded by Clifton Fowler in 1914 as the Denver Bible Institute. History CCU's heritage dates back to the formation of Denver Bi ...
. Vann's research focuses on environmental perceptions and religious geography, particularly the relationship between religious beliefs and environmental perceptions in politicized regions such as
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
and the American
Bible Belt The Bible Belt is a region of the Southern United States and the Midwestern state of Missouri (which also has significant Southern influence), where evangelical Protestantism exerts a strong social and cultural influence. The region has been de ...
.


Early life and education

Vann was born in
Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has also been used as a given nam ...
on March 30, 1960, to Dorothy A. Voyles (b. 1934) and Harry Mack Vann Jr. (1935–2010). According to genealogical sources, he is a distant relative of Cherokee Chief
James Vann James Vann (c. 1762–64 – February 19, 1809) was a Cherokee leader, one of the triumvirate with Major Ridge and Charles R. Hicks, who led the Upper Towns of East Tennessee and North Georgia as part of the ᎤᏪᏘ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ (Uwe ...
and comedian
Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...
. He was primarily raised by his maternal grandparents, Rufus (1912–1995) and Vernedith Voyles (1919–1999), in a home without indoor plumbing and heated by a wood or coal-burning stove. He also spent time living with his mother, stepfather, and siblings in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, Michigan. Vann has attributed his interest in geography to his experiences traveling between these environments. He earned a Ph.D. in Historical Geography from the
University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
, jointly awarded by the faculties of Church History and Earth and Geographical Sciences. He also holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in adult education with a concentration in community development from the
University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...
, an M.S. in Geography from
Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a few decades earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glas ...
, and a B.S. in Social Sciences from
Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Technological University (commonly referred to as Tennessee Tech) is a Public university, public research university in Cookeville, Tennessee. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, and before that as University of D ...
. He received an A.S. from
Roane State Community College Roane State logo Roane State Community College is a public community college in eastern Tennessee, with its main campus in Harriman in Roane County. It was authorized by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1969, along with two other community col ...
, which recognized him as its Outstanding Alumnus in 2012.


Work

Vann's scholarship explores the intersection of geography and theology through the conceptual framework of ''geotheology''—the study of the relationship between religious belief and geographic space. This framework was originally introduced by geographer
John Kirtland Wright John Kirtland Wright (1891–1969) was an American geographer, notable for his cartography, geosophy, and study of the history of geographical thought. He was the son of classical scholar John Henry Wright and novelist Mary Tappan Wright, and th ...
(1891–1969). Building on Wright’s ideas, Vann introduced additional terms to describe how different worldviews interpret the relationship between nature and divine agency. These include ''geotheomisthosis'' (earth, God, reward) and ''geotheokolasis'' (earth, God, punishment) to reflect theological interpretations of environmental events. To capture secular perspectives, he coined ''geomisthosis'' (earth rewards) and ''geokolasis'' (earth punishes). Beyond geotheology, Vann has contributed to discussions on the interface between historical geography, population studies, and environmental risk. His works examine how environmental and demographic factors influence human behavior and settlement patterns. Vann’s research also examines how religious leaders influence cultural landscapes through the dissemination of belief systems. Historian Andrew D. Nicholls commented on this aspect of Vann’s work in the ''
Journal of British Studies The publication of the North American Conference on British Studies, ''The Journal of British Studies'' is an academic journal aimed at scholars of British culture from the Middle Ages through the present. The journal was co-founded in 1961 by G ...
'':


Publications

Vann's academic works include ''Rediscovering the South's Celtic Heritage''; ''In Search of Ulster-Scots Land: The Birth and Geotheological Imaginings of a Transatlantic People''; ''Geography Toward History: Studies in the Mediterranean Basin and Mesopotamia'' (with
Ellsworth Huntington __NOTOC__ Ellsworth Huntington (September 16, 1876 – October 17, 1947) was a professor of geography at Yale University during the early 20th century, known for his studies on environmental determinism/climatic determinism, economic growth, and e ...
); ''The Forces of Nature: Our Quest to Conquer the Planet'' and Presbyterian Social Ties and Mobility in the Irish Sea Culture Area, 1610–1690; ''Climate Change in History: A Geotheological Perspective'' (2020) uses biblical and qur'anic narratives and paleoclimatological studies to establish dates for those respective writings. The narratives in the sacred texts highlight how ancient people understood weather and climate and help modern scholars see how climate has changed over a 3,800-year span of time. His book ''Puritan Islam: The Geoexpansion of the Muslim World'' was chosen as a Top 25 Outstanding Academic Title for 2012 by ''
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'', a division of the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...
(ALA). A review in the April 2012 issue of ''Choice'' stated that ''Puritan Islam'' was "perhaps the best geographical text produced on this subject since 2000" and of "utmost significance in finally taking the topic away from the emotional to where it needs to be—rational and explanatory discussion." On her show ''Spirited Debate'',
Lauren Green Lauren Susan Green (born June 30, 1958) is the Chief Religion Correspondent for Fox News.
of
Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
called ''Puritan Islam'' a "fascinating book."


Media

Vann has appeared as a guest on radio and television shows, including BBC Scotland; Fox News Channel's "Spirited Debate" with
Lauren Green Lauren Susan Green (born June 30, 1958) is the Chief Religion Correspondent for Fox News.
; Ecotopia with Susan and Stephen Tchudi;"Science Fantastic" with Professor
Michio Kaku Michio Kaku (; ; born January 24, 1947) is an American theoretical physicist, Science communication, science communicator, futurologist, and writer of popular-science. He is a professor of theoretical physics at the City College of New York and ...
; the "Mancow Experience"; "Point of Inquiry" with
Josh Zepps Josh Szeps, previously known as Josh Zepps, (born 22 November 1977) is an Australian media personality, political satirist, and television presenter. Szeps has previously hosted ''Weekend Breakfast'' on ABC News. He was a founding host for Huf ...
; BBC Two; Northern Visions TV in Belfast, Northern Ireland; and PBS's-"Tennessee Life.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vann, Barry A. 1960 births Living people American geographers University of the Cumberlands people Alumni of the University of Glasgow University of Arkansas alumni Western Kentucky University alumni Tennessee Technological University alumni