Theology of Hospitality
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Description
Book Introduction
Hospitality was central to Christian identity and a driving force behind the growth of the early church, but today it is often treated as a vague concept or an impossible ideal.
Bridging the gap between Christian faith and Christian hospitality, this book expands the existing discourse on hospitality by engaging with diverse humanities disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, political science, literature, and anthropology, grounded in the Bible and the doctrine of the Trinity.
In the flow of discussions about space, gifts, homes, meals, treating others well, relationships, unconditional hospitality, and responsibility, we will discover why Christians should be hospitable even when the ideal and the reality collide.
Bridging the gap between Christian faith and Christian hospitality, this book expands the existing discourse on hospitality by engaging with diverse humanities disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, political science, literature, and anthropology, grounded in the Bible and the doctrine of the Trinity.
In the flow of discussions about space, gifts, homes, meals, treating others well, relationships, unconditional hospitality, and responsibility, we will discover why Christians should be hospitable even when the ideal and the reality collide.
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index
Introductory remarks.
Neighbors and strangers
Chapter 1.
What is hospitality?
From Exclusion to Hospitality | The Divine Aura of Hospitality | Abraham, the Father of Hospitality | Israel, the Welcoming People | Jesus Christ, the Welcoming God | The Community of Disciples, the Flock Following the Welcoming Teacher | The Church, Hospitality with the Holy Spirit
Further Thought: Faith and Hope in Hospitality
Chapter 2.
Hospitality and space
Making Room for the Other | The Triune God's Hospitality to Creation | Changing Places of Guest and Host | Changing Places in the Holy Spirit | The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Hospitality
More to Think About: The God Who Hates, The Welcoming Stranger
Chapter 3.
Hospitality and gifts
Gift Exchange and Social Relationships | Gift Exchange and the Christian Life | The Social Role of Gifts | The Reciprocity and Unilaterality of Gifts | God's Gift and Human Gift | God's Gift in Martin Luther's Theology
Further Thought: The Soul Labor of Gratitude
Chapter 4.
House of Hospitality and the Holy Spirit
Gifts Purified by Love | Gift Exchange and the House of the Holy Spirit | The Gift of Home | Entering the House of the Holy Spirit | Sitting Around the Table of Hospitality | The Eucharist as a Meal of Hospitality | Leaving the Space of Hospitality
Further Thought: The Disciple of Hospitality and Staying
Chapter 5.
Hospitality and People
Calling "You" | Facing the Other's Face | The Image of God in Humanity | The Image of Christ, the Otherness Within Us | The Ultimate Goal of Being Human
Further Thought: The Anthropology of Hospitality and the Missionary Myth
Chapter 6.
Crossing the border
The Limits and Boundaries of Hospitality | The Impossibility and Necessity of Unconditional Hospitality | Ethicalizing Unconditional Hospitality | The Violence of Unconditional Hospitality | Infinite Responsibility toward Others
Further Thought: Welcoming Sinners and Righteous People
Going out words.
Open the door to hospitality
At the threshold | Between pessimism and idealism
More to think about: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
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References
Browse Topics
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Neighbors and strangers
Chapter 1.
What is hospitality?
From Exclusion to Hospitality | The Divine Aura of Hospitality | Abraham, the Father of Hospitality | Israel, the Welcoming People | Jesus Christ, the Welcoming God | The Community of Disciples, the Flock Following the Welcoming Teacher | The Church, Hospitality with the Holy Spirit
Further Thought: Faith and Hope in Hospitality
Chapter 2.
Hospitality and space
Making Room for the Other | The Triune God's Hospitality to Creation | Changing Places of Guest and Host | Changing Places in the Holy Spirit | The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Hospitality
More to Think About: The God Who Hates, The Welcoming Stranger
Chapter 3.
Hospitality and gifts
Gift Exchange and Social Relationships | Gift Exchange and the Christian Life | The Social Role of Gifts | The Reciprocity and Unilaterality of Gifts | God's Gift and Human Gift | God's Gift in Martin Luther's Theology
Further Thought: The Soul Labor of Gratitude
Chapter 4.
House of Hospitality and the Holy Spirit
Gifts Purified by Love | Gift Exchange and the House of the Holy Spirit | The Gift of Home | Entering the House of the Holy Spirit | Sitting Around the Table of Hospitality | The Eucharist as a Meal of Hospitality | Leaving the Space of Hospitality
Further Thought: The Disciple of Hospitality and Staying
Chapter 5.
Hospitality and People
Calling "You" | Facing the Other's Face | The Image of God in Humanity | The Image of Christ, the Otherness Within Us | The Ultimate Goal of Being Human
Further Thought: The Anthropology of Hospitality and the Missionary Myth
Chapter 6.
Crossing the border
The Limits and Boundaries of Hospitality | The Impossibility and Necessity of Unconditional Hospitality | Ethicalizing Unconditional Hospitality | The Violence of Unconditional Hospitality | Infinite Responsibility toward Others
Further Thought: Welcoming Sinners and Righteous People
Going out words.
Open the door to hospitality
At the threshold | Between pessimism and idealism
More to think about: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
main
References
Browse Topics
Find a person
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Into the book
Love for strangers, that is, hospitality, has been a core word that constitutes the identity of Christianity for the past 2,000 years.
Without hospitality as the gospel spread throughout the world, the church would have struggled to take root in foreign lands that were wary of new religions.
The church, in an environment that was unfamiliar and sometimes even hostile, demonstrated the meaning of being a church by welcoming others.
Of course, unfortunately, there are countless instances of Christians failing to be hospitable, and there are many instances of Christians excluding and hating others in the name of their faith.
But even though hospitality has been distorted, its importance has never faded.
--- From the introductory remarks “Neighbors and Strangers”
The characters in the Bible exemplify a life of hospitality, each with their own special reasons and ways, in God's history of salvation.
God, disguised as a passerby, could not be sent away (Abraham's hospitality); he remembered the time when he was a stranger and welcomed strangers (Israel's hospitality); God's radical love for restoring humanity was revealed through hospitality (Jesus Christ's hospitality); he was reborn as a hospitable being who followed Christ (the hospitality of the disciple community); and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Jews and Gentiles fellowshipped and shared food (hospitality with the Holy Spirit).
The Holy Spirit, who gave birth to the church as a community of hospitality, is still active among us today, leading us to a life of hospitality.
--- From Chapter 1, “What is Hospitality?”
In the Holy Spirit, who is love, we gradually escape from the vague fear of self-loss and the strangeness of the other.
The Holy Spirit, the bond of love, purifies our selfish desires by holding us to God, who is love, and at the same time connects human relationships with love.
In this way, in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of self-transformation, the power relationship between the host and guest of hospitality, which was difficult to resolve through our own strength, can be gradually dismantled.
--- From Chapter 2, “Hospitality and Space”
As God's image, humans were created to 'understand' that God is a giver of gifts, and to 'reflect' the grammar of grace contained in God's gifts as they give and receive gifts with others.
If we reframe our imagination and practice from this anthropological perspective, we can give unconditionally for the benefit of others, just as God gives us good things.
When gifts as diverse as each person's personality and talent are exchanged, the church community becomes a rich place where the boundless abundance of divine grace is colorfully embodied.
--- From Chapter 3, “Hospitality and Gifts”
A major reason hospitality fails in practice is the subject-object dynamic that is formed and reinforced between the host and the hostess (as we saw in Chapter 2).
For hospitality to be possible, the positions of host and guest must be interchangeable, and as this exchange of positions and roles occurs, a self-centered and selfish 'unselfing' becomes possible.
While the exchange of places between host and guest might seem unrealistic, the Gospels reveal that the host-guest relationship was repeatedly broken down at Jesus' table.… When he changed the structure from being a welcomed guest to being a welcoming Lord, it brought about self-reflection, enlightenment, and a transformation of life on the part of the original host.
The logic of power that had defined reality began to crumble, and the messianic future that was to come was upon us.
--- From Chapter 4, “Hospitality and the House of the Holy Spirit”
The worth of each person cannot be determined by what is visible, nor is human nature endowed to us as a fixed entity.
True humanity is a mystery that will be revealed as we are transformed into Christ-like beings in the power of the Holy Spirit.
This unique theological understanding allowed the early Christians to develop radical ideas about human dignity and worth that the ancient Romans of their time could not have anticipated.
Just as the community that had been born in the first century, where the social markers that divided men and women, slaves and freemen, Jews and Gentiles, were relativized, so too will the house of hospitality that is the Body of Christ be present in the world yesterday, today, and tomorrow, as long as there are people who are transformed into the image of Christ.
--- From Chapter 5, “Hospitality and People”
Christians do not judge unconditional hospitality simply by its feasibility, nor do they perceive it as a commandment given to us in a clear form.
A life of hospitality depends first on whether we believe in the amazing grace of God, who becomes a sinner for sinners.
Because such a belief is not an illusion, people who, without even knowing the concept of unconditional hospitality, lived Christ-like lives, forsaking privileges and benefits for strangers, resisting social conventions, and welcoming others, only to be insulted and suffer, could continue to appear throughout history.
--- From Chapter 6, “Crossing the Boundary”
When practicing hospitality, we must not focus solely on the limitations of human nature or the difficult circumstances.
Just as a tightrope walker balances on a long pole, looking forward and taking each step, so too must we move forward, keeping our eyes fixed on the promise that “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8), amidst the taut tension of the needs and challenges of hospitality.
Christian theology serves to align our imagination with a future better than today, without breaking down this tension.
Without hospitality as the gospel spread throughout the world, the church would have struggled to take root in foreign lands that were wary of new religions.
The church, in an environment that was unfamiliar and sometimes even hostile, demonstrated the meaning of being a church by welcoming others.
Of course, unfortunately, there are countless instances of Christians failing to be hospitable, and there are many instances of Christians excluding and hating others in the name of their faith.
But even though hospitality has been distorted, its importance has never faded.
--- From the introductory remarks “Neighbors and Strangers”
The characters in the Bible exemplify a life of hospitality, each with their own special reasons and ways, in God's history of salvation.
God, disguised as a passerby, could not be sent away (Abraham's hospitality); he remembered the time when he was a stranger and welcomed strangers (Israel's hospitality); God's radical love for restoring humanity was revealed through hospitality (Jesus Christ's hospitality); he was reborn as a hospitable being who followed Christ (the hospitality of the disciple community); and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Jews and Gentiles fellowshipped and shared food (hospitality with the Holy Spirit).
The Holy Spirit, who gave birth to the church as a community of hospitality, is still active among us today, leading us to a life of hospitality.
--- From Chapter 1, “What is Hospitality?”
In the Holy Spirit, who is love, we gradually escape from the vague fear of self-loss and the strangeness of the other.
The Holy Spirit, the bond of love, purifies our selfish desires by holding us to God, who is love, and at the same time connects human relationships with love.
In this way, in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of self-transformation, the power relationship between the host and guest of hospitality, which was difficult to resolve through our own strength, can be gradually dismantled.
--- From Chapter 2, “Hospitality and Space”
As God's image, humans were created to 'understand' that God is a giver of gifts, and to 'reflect' the grammar of grace contained in God's gifts as they give and receive gifts with others.
If we reframe our imagination and practice from this anthropological perspective, we can give unconditionally for the benefit of others, just as God gives us good things.
When gifts as diverse as each person's personality and talent are exchanged, the church community becomes a rich place where the boundless abundance of divine grace is colorfully embodied.
--- From Chapter 3, “Hospitality and Gifts”
A major reason hospitality fails in practice is the subject-object dynamic that is formed and reinforced between the host and the hostess (as we saw in Chapter 2).
For hospitality to be possible, the positions of host and guest must be interchangeable, and as this exchange of positions and roles occurs, a self-centered and selfish 'unselfing' becomes possible.
While the exchange of places between host and guest might seem unrealistic, the Gospels reveal that the host-guest relationship was repeatedly broken down at Jesus' table.… When he changed the structure from being a welcomed guest to being a welcoming Lord, it brought about self-reflection, enlightenment, and a transformation of life on the part of the original host.
The logic of power that had defined reality began to crumble, and the messianic future that was to come was upon us.
--- From Chapter 4, “Hospitality and the House of the Holy Spirit”
The worth of each person cannot be determined by what is visible, nor is human nature endowed to us as a fixed entity.
True humanity is a mystery that will be revealed as we are transformed into Christ-like beings in the power of the Holy Spirit.
This unique theological understanding allowed the early Christians to develop radical ideas about human dignity and worth that the ancient Romans of their time could not have anticipated.
Just as the community that had been born in the first century, where the social markers that divided men and women, slaves and freemen, Jews and Gentiles, were relativized, so too will the house of hospitality that is the Body of Christ be present in the world yesterday, today, and tomorrow, as long as there are people who are transformed into the image of Christ.
--- From Chapter 5, “Hospitality and People”
Christians do not judge unconditional hospitality simply by its feasibility, nor do they perceive it as a commandment given to us in a clear form.
A life of hospitality depends first on whether we believe in the amazing grace of God, who becomes a sinner for sinners.
Because such a belief is not an illusion, people who, without even knowing the concept of unconditional hospitality, lived Christ-like lives, forsaking privileges and benefits for strangers, resisting social conventions, and welcoming others, only to be insulted and suffer, could continue to appear throughout history.
--- From Chapter 6, “Crossing the Boundary”
When practicing hospitality, we must not focus solely on the limitations of human nature or the difficult circumstances.
Just as a tightrope walker balances on a long pole, looking forward and taking each step, so too must we move forward, keeping our eyes fixed on the promise that “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8), amidst the taut tension of the needs and challenges of hospitality.
Christian theology serves to align our imagination with a future better than today, without breaking down this tension.
--- From "Exiting Remarks: Opening the Door of Hospitality"
Publisher's Review
The Importance and Necessity of Discussing Hospitality Today
In modern society, where the scope of society is expanding and its members are becoming more diverse, it is inevitable that we will frequently encounter strangers.
As society becomes more flexible and its members move more frequently, more people come into our culture from other cultures, and we often enter other cultures ourselves.
That is, the other person always comes to my life, and I also become the other person in someone else's life.
Meetings enrich our lives, but at the same time they contain anxiety.
Even if we prepare a system well to ensure social stability, a system that follows reality cannot fully embrace reality.
There is a constant sense of anxiety among members of society, and in a society that draws boundaries, many experience the loneliness of losing their home and their comfort.
Accordingly, it is natural that 'hospitality', a long-standing wisdom of mankind, has been receiving renewed attention in the humanities and social sciences as well as in the industrial sector since the 20th century.
To encounter and coexist with others, we need the wisdom to know how to be hospitable.
Hospitality is also an important element of the Christian faith.
Because it is not simply an ethical duty imposed, but rather something that appears in response to the grace given by God.
However, as the scope of society expands and the context in which its members are placed becomes more complex, hospitality is often treated as a cliché concept that remains only as an expression, and sometimes even gives rise to political misunderstandings.
Yet, even though hospitality has been distorted throughout Christian history, its importance has never faded.
From the early growth of the church to the present, hospitality has been a driving force in taking root in people's hearts.
It is thanks to hospitality that Christianity is a religion of love.
Theology of Hospitality: Scripture, Place, Gift, Home, and People
"Theology of Hospitality" is an attempt to bridge the gap that has emerged around the theory and practice of hospitality, as well as the gap between Christian faith and Christian hospitality.
As a theologian, the author engages with philosophy, sociology, political science, literature, and anthropology to reinterpret the core of Christianity through the lens of hospitality, while simultaneously enriching the existing discourse on hospitality with theology.
In particular, the author adds theological reflection to existing discussions through the nature and work of the Trinity, especially the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
The author emphasizes the importance of hospitality as love for strangers that goes beyond love for neighbors.
Even in ancient Greek mythology, as well as in the Bible, Abraham, the history of Israel, Jesus Christ, and the early church, hospitality was not simply love for neighbors, but love for strangers (Chapter 1).
Such hospitality is embodied in ‘making room for the other,’ which is the work of the triune God and an experience in which the relationship between host and guest is reversed and transformed in the Holy Spirit (Chapter 2).
While gifts exchanged in hospitality can create power relationships between people, God's grace dismantles potentially oppressive power relationships and fundamentally transforms the way humans exchange gifts (Chapter 3).
In the process, God purifies the gift with love and opens a space of hospitality called the 'house of the Holy Spirit,' and the Eucharist, a Christian tradition, clearly demonstrates this (Chapter 4).
A person who has received God's hospitality is transformed into the image of Christ and begins to treat others as if they were God's image (Chapter 5).
The Limits of Reality, Yet Reasons to Welcome
But while the ideal of hospitality is beautiful, the reality we face is not easy.
The author also frankly acknowledges the limitations of hospitality.
Considering the wariness and fear of others, the limited resources, the cultural tensions between host and guest, the tug-of-war between community identity and openness, the emotional exhaustion of hospitality, and even the violence it can engender, hospitality sometimes seems too burdensome to be a mere sentimental claim.
Although it is said that God's grace fundamentally changes the nature of hospitality, there have been many instances in history where hospitality, which was meant to be an exchange of goodwill, has inadvertently become a mechanism for subtle control or exclusion.
The author grapples with this question throughout, but ultimately encourages us to focus on the promise that “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Even though God and the world have been reconciled through Jesus Christ, the order of violence and the order of hospitality will coexist in the world until the end.
Rather than changing everything in one fell swoop, God calls us to hold on to His promises and cultivate hope.
History has been marked by violence, but it has also been marked by hospitality, the pursuit of helping others, and the creation of just laws and institutions to foster hospitality.
The history of the 'holy fools' who followed Christ and wanted to become friends of others becomes a faint but unquenchable light that leads us to welcome the angel who appears in the form of a stranger.
For readers
- Christian industry professionals who are concerned about the problems facing Christianity today and the path forward.
- Pastors who seek to discover the theological meaning of hospitality and find application points in various ministries of the church, such as preaching, education, and service.
- Theological researchers and seminarians studying the topic of hospitality
- Missionaries and missionary workers who have to frequently come into contact with people from other cultures
- A Christian who pursues a mature faith that combines intellect and practice.
- General readers who wish to explore Christian discussions on issues surrounding hospitality.
In modern society, where the scope of society is expanding and its members are becoming more diverse, it is inevitable that we will frequently encounter strangers.
As society becomes more flexible and its members move more frequently, more people come into our culture from other cultures, and we often enter other cultures ourselves.
That is, the other person always comes to my life, and I also become the other person in someone else's life.
Meetings enrich our lives, but at the same time they contain anxiety.
Even if we prepare a system well to ensure social stability, a system that follows reality cannot fully embrace reality.
There is a constant sense of anxiety among members of society, and in a society that draws boundaries, many experience the loneliness of losing their home and their comfort.
Accordingly, it is natural that 'hospitality', a long-standing wisdom of mankind, has been receiving renewed attention in the humanities and social sciences as well as in the industrial sector since the 20th century.
To encounter and coexist with others, we need the wisdom to know how to be hospitable.
Hospitality is also an important element of the Christian faith.
Because it is not simply an ethical duty imposed, but rather something that appears in response to the grace given by God.
However, as the scope of society expands and the context in which its members are placed becomes more complex, hospitality is often treated as a cliché concept that remains only as an expression, and sometimes even gives rise to political misunderstandings.
Yet, even though hospitality has been distorted throughout Christian history, its importance has never faded.
From the early growth of the church to the present, hospitality has been a driving force in taking root in people's hearts.
It is thanks to hospitality that Christianity is a religion of love.
Theology of Hospitality: Scripture, Place, Gift, Home, and People
"Theology of Hospitality" is an attempt to bridge the gap that has emerged around the theory and practice of hospitality, as well as the gap between Christian faith and Christian hospitality.
As a theologian, the author engages with philosophy, sociology, political science, literature, and anthropology to reinterpret the core of Christianity through the lens of hospitality, while simultaneously enriching the existing discourse on hospitality with theology.
In particular, the author adds theological reflection to existing discussions through the nature and work of the Trinity, especially the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
The author emphasizes the importance of hospitality as love for strangers that goes beyond love for neighbors.
Even in ancient Greek mythology, as well as in the Bible, Abraham, the history of Israel, Jesus Christ, and the early church, hospitality was not simply love for neighbors, but love for strangers (Chapter 1).
Such hospitality is embodied in ‘making room for the other,’ which is the work of the triune God and an experience in which the relationship between host and guest is reversed and transformed in the Holy Spirit (Chapter 2).
While gifts exchanged in hospitality can create power relationships between people, God's grace dismantles potentially oppressive power relationships and fundamentally transforms the way humans exchange gifts (Chapter 3).
In the process, God purifies the gift with love and opens a space of hospitality called the 'house of the Holy Spirit,' and the Eucharist, a Christian tradition, clearly demonstrates this (Chapter 4).
A person who has received God's hospitality is transformed into the image of Christ and begins to treat others as if they were God's image (Chapter 5).
The Limits of Reality, Yet Reasons to Welcome
But while the ideal of hospitality is beautiful, the reality we face is not easy.
The author also frankly acknowledges the limitations of hospitality.
Considering the wariness and fear of others, the limited resources, the cultural tensions between host and guest, the tug-of-war between community identity and openness, the emotional exhaustion of hospitality, and even the violence it can engender, hospitality sometimes seems too burdensome to be a mere sentimental claim.
Although it is said that God's grace fundamentally changes the nature of hospitality, there have been many instances in history where hospitality, which was meant to be an exchange of goodwill, has inadvertently become a mechanism for subtle control or exclusion.
The author grapples with this question throughout, but ultimately encourages us to focus on the promise that “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
Even though God and the world have been reconciled through Jesus Christ, the order of violence and the order of hospitality will coexist in the world until the end.
Rather than changing everything in one fell swoop, God calls us to hold on to His promises and cultivate hope.
History has been marked by violence, but it has also been marked by hospitality, the pursuit of helping others, and the creation of just laws and institutions to foster hospitality.
The history of the 'holy fools' who followed Christ and wanted to become friends of others becomes a faint but unquenchable light that leads us to welcome the angel who appears in the form of a stranger.
For readers
- Christian industry professionals who are concerned about the problems facing Christianity today and the path forward.
- Pastors who seek to discover the theological meaning of hospitality and find application points in various ministries of the church, such as preaching, education, and service.
- Theological researchers and seminarians studying the topic of hospitality
- Missionaries and missionary workers who have to frequently come into contact with people from other cultures
- A Christian who pursues a mature faith that combines intellect and practice.
- General readers who wish to explore Christian discussions on issues surrounding hospitality.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: May 20, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 308 pages | 140*210*30mm
- ISBN13: 9788932823478
- ISBN10: 8932823472
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