Palm Beach Atlantic University hosts its annual President’s Distinguished Scholar Lecture in October with Dr. J. Wayne Flynt, expert on Southern culture and award-winning author. Dr. Flynt’s lecture is free and open to the public Monday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the University’s DeSantis Family Chapel, 300 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach.

          There are many stereotypes about Christian religion in the South, most of them based on some degree of fact, while others on exaggeration, hyperbole and outright misrepresentation. The most misleading assumption is its homogeneity. In this lecture, Dr. Wayne Flynt, professor emeritus at Auburn University, will offer a nuanced analysis of religion in the South, and will argue that this topic is much more complex and complicated than both its internal practitioners and external critics believe it to be.  

   Dr. J. Wayne Flynt has a passion for the history, culture and people of the Deep South. He is an expert in the social and economic issues related to this region of the United States, including the history, culture, religion, poverty, politics and education reform. A distinguished pedagogue, Dr. Flynt has lectured across the globe, and his expertise has been sought by major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Newsweek, CBS, CNN and C-SPAN.   

   An active member in his community, Dr. Flynt serves on the board of directors for Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation and Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform. He is the founder and director of the Alabama Poverty Project and a founder of Sowing Seeds of Hope, a 30-year initiative to address poverty in one of America’s poorest counties, Perry County, Ala. Dr. Flynt previously served as the president of the Southern Historical Society Association, which is the largest professional organization devoted to the study of southern history and culture. This year, he was chosen as the 2008 Catherine Prescott Lecturer for the Florida Historical Society.

   Dr. Flynt has published 11 books, most of which have received honors. Two of his books, Alabama: The History of a Deep South State, and Poor But Proud: Alabama’s Poor Whites were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for History. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Alabama Humanities Foundation Award, The Leadership Alabama Lifetime Achievement Award (2007), and The Judson-Rice Award for leadership and integrity (2007). In 2006, he was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor.

   Born in Mississippi and raised in Anniston, Ala., Dr. Flynt graduated magna cum laude from Samford University. He later earned his master’s and doctorate degrees from Florida State University. In continual pursuit of academia, he became a professor and taught at Samford University and Auburn University. As an educator, he received recognition from his students, colleagues and community. His accolades include Distinguished University Professor, Distinguished Graduate Faculty Lecturer, Honors Society Professor of the Year (2003), Professor of the Year for Alabama, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and College of Liberal Arts Academy of Teaching and Outstanding Teachers.

   In addition to his public lecture, Dr. Flynt will speak at chapel and in classes at Palm Beach Atlantic.