THE HEBREW BIBLE AND THE DISCOURSE ON MIGRATION
A REFLECTION ON THE VIRTUE OF HOSPITALITY IN THE BOOK OF RUTH
Keywords:
DISCOURSE ON MIGRATION, VIRTUE OF HOSPITALITYAbstract
There have been significant shifts in terms of global patterns and
sources of migration in recent decades. Still, the issue of migration
remains a sign of the times. The inter-related factors of economics,
politics, and violence continue to be the root causes of massive
migration, and the subsequent impact on the migrants as well as on
receiving countries is huge and complex. The author offers an ethical
reflection on the discourse on migration by exploring the virtue of
hospitality found in the Book of Ruth. By reading scriptural texts
exegetically we identify certain qualities of Boaz’s hospitality that can
provide insights to our Christian understanding of hospitality.
Moreover, the concern of the writer of the book seems not only to portray a singular virtuous character but also to reform Israelites of the
postexilic period into a community characterized by such value. Thus,
the practice of Christian hospitality beyond a personal level points
toward reforming our contemporary society into one that incorporates
immigrants and itinerant people in a Christian way.
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