(Posted April 10, 2006)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Stephen Finlan, adjunct professor of religion at Seton Hall University, will give a lecture at Juniata College on "Did Jesus Have to Be Killed," at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, in Neff Lecture Hall in the von Liebig science center on the Juniata campus.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Finlan will speak about Jesus' teachings and the evidence that Jesus never taught that his death represented a sacrifice for mankind's sins. "In fact, he affirmed that God does not want sacrifice," Finlan says. "He indicated that he was not sent to Earth in order to be killed. I will talk about how Christians may have failed to understand Jesus' description of his own mission."

Finlan has written several books, including "The Background and Content of Paul's Cultic Atonement Metaphors" (2004) and "Problems With Atonement" (2005). He also co-edited and co-wrote "Theosis: Deification in Christian Theological Tradition."

Finland earned a doctoral degree in religion in 2004 at the University of Durham, England.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.