Geography and the Creation

There's an interesting 'dilemma' for some teachers who have a religious belief, when teaching about the origins of the Earth and the way it has been shaped since.  The Bible is quite clear on how the Earth was created. All faiths have some sort of creation story.

I was interested to come across this piece about an interview with Sarah Buckland.

An early GA President was very much connected with theology.

Sir William Mitchell Ramsay (1851–1939), was a skeptical Scottish archaeologist and Geographical Association president in 1918.

After reading the geographical locations of Paul’s travels (named in Acts), Ramsay tried using them to disprove the Bible’s accuracy. 

With extensive excavations in the Middle East, he tested the existence of variously mentioned New Testament places. But every single detail was so accurate when Ramsay retraced Paul’s journeys that he became a little more convinced in the stories being told.

You can read Ramsay's biography here on my GA Presidents blog.

This Bible Hub page explains more.

Ramsay’s fieldwork took him to various locations such as Galatia, Phrygia, and Lycaonia (regions frequently referenced by the Apostle Paul). He meticulously followed ancient roads, recorded inscriptions, and studied the ruins of cities mentioned in the New Testament. His expeditions resulted in critical site identifications and discoveries, including:

• Confirmation of ancient city locations (e.g., Antioch in Pisidia) that aligned with Luke’s geographical references (Acts 13:14).

• Findings of inscriptions that supported political and cultural details recorded in the Book of Acts (e.g., local governance structures, official titles, and the presence of synagogues).

These archaeological contributions provided robust contextual evidence that lent credibility to the historical details in Scripture, causing Ramsay to describe Luke as a historian “of the first rank.”

Major Publications and Impact on Biblical Studies

Among Ramsay’s notable works are “St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen” (1895) and “The Church in the Roman Empire” (1893). In these volumes, he presented detailed arguments for the historical trustworthiness of biblical records, particularly regarding the missionary journeys of Paul. Drawing on inscriptions, architectural remains, and ancient documents, he provided corroborating data that supported the reliability of the narrative found in Acts.

His findings have been frequently cited as evidence that Luke was intimately acquainted with the political and cultural realities of the Roman world. Scholars across various theological traditions have referenced Ramsay’s work to fortify claims that the New Testament is grounded in legitimate historical events rather than merely religious speculation.

1918: Sir William Mitchell Ramsay

Updated August 2021

As the First World War came towards an end, the archaeologist Sir William Mitchell Ramsay was the person in the post of GA President. 

Again, he was not a geographer at heart, but had travelled widely, and was well known within his sphere of interest. He studied at St. John 's College, Oxford (another Oxford connection being shown).

He was another part of the drive to bring in distinguished outsiders with geographic interests to strengthen the standing of the Association. He didn't have many geographical connections before or after his time as President, unlike some others who were appointed during this period.

Ramsay was an archaeologist by trade, and a New Testament Scholar. He travelled widely in the area known then as Asia Minor (and referred to these travels extensively in his Presidential Address). He wrote a large number of books on the theme of Biblical studies as well. His address touched on his travels and biblical scholarship.

His Presidential Address began with this paragraph

"The study and the proper teaching of Geography should combine two characteristics. True Geography is a science of the most practical character, with firm hold on the facts of the world around us, yet at the same time the study should be ideal in the highest degree and inspired by a strong emotional quality. These characteristics may seem inconsistent with one another, yet in Geography they are not merely consistent, they are necessary each for the other.

Geography cannot be practical unless it is ideal and emotional, and it is ideal because it is practical."

Later on in the address is this quote:

"...the true geographer is the lover of the earth. He should feel to the earth something of that exquisite and strong feeling which the son begins to feel towards his mother as he grows up and passes out of the age of careless, unintelligent, even though strong, emotion towards her, into the stage of intelligent and sympathetic comprehension of all that he has owed her from the beginning of his life to the present moment. The emotion is even stronger than before, but it is now guided by knowledge."

Towards the end of his tenure, in November 1918, the First World War came to an end.
His academic career included time at Lincoln College, University of Oxford, and he had a long and varied career which also included the University of Aberdeen. He published many journal articles.

He was one of the original members of the British Academy, was awarded the Gold Medal of Pope Leo XIII in 1893 and the Victoria Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in 1906.

His death was announced in 1939 in 'Geography'

References

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Mitchell_Ramsay

Image: Public domain 

I have edited this page to add reference to the Geographical Association, as I will do with each Past President who has a Wikipedia page.

RAMSAY, W. M. “PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO THE GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION.” The Geographical Teacher, vol. 9, no. 4, 1918, pp. 175–181. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40554566.

Gifford Lectures: https://www.giffordlectures.org/lecturers/william-mitchell-ramsay
https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ramsay/ramsay_gasque.pdf (PDF download)

If anyone knows of other geographical connections, let me know in the comments - this is quite a brief entry at the moment, as with some early Presidents who were not geographers.

Updated August 2021

And, @trowelblazers Agnes Ramsay also wrote a novel in the 1890s based on her own experience travelling & excavating with her husband William Mitchell Ramsay in Turkey - I've just got a copy of this novel, I'm glad to say - it's called "The Romance of Elizavet"

— Dr Amara Thornton (@amalexathorn) January 29, 2021