What Archaeology Teaches Us About Christian History, Lecture November 10

Chestertown, MD, November 4, 2004 — Washington College's Conrad Wingate Memorial Lecture Series presents “History, Archaeology and Christianity,” a talk by Paul Maier, Professor of History, Western Michigan University, on Wednesday, November 10, at 4:30 p.m. in the Casey Academic Center Forum. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Dr. Maier currently serves as the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. He received a master of arts degree from Harvard University and a master of divinity from Concordia Seminary, and pursued post-graduate studies as a Fulbright scholar at the Universities of Heidelberg, Germany, and Basel, Switzerland. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Basel. Dr. Maier's historical research utilizes a variety of methodologies involved in manuscript and text analysis, archaeology and comparison of sacred and secular sources from the first century A.D.

He has published numerous articles and books on Christian history—both fiction and non-fiction—with several million in print in a dozen languages, and is frequently interviewed for national radio, television and newspapers. His first documentary novel, Pontius Pilate, received wide acclaim and has gone through numerous printings, editions and translations. His recent documentary novels concerning archaeology and the origins of Christianity include A Skeleton in God's Closet and More Than a Skeleton. In 1984, he was named “Professor of the Year,” recognized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education as one of America's top 25 finest educators.

The Conrad M. Wingate Memorial Lecture in History is held in honor of the late Conrad Meade Wingate '23, brother of late Washington College Visitor Emeritus Phillip J. Wingate '33 and the late Carolyn Wingate Todd. He was principal of Henderson (MD) High School at the time of his death from cerebrospinal meningitis at age 27. At Washington College, he was president of the Dramatic Association, president of the Adelphia Literary Society and vice president of the Student Council in 1922-23.