Jim Spillane, SJ - University of St. Thomas

cultures attach religious and ethical value to the establishment of friendly exchanges
between those who view one another as different - in rank, race or trade - and,
therefore, potentially dangerous. In order to provide a focus for interpreting the diverse
religious traditions that relate to this subject, J. Koenig (1987) concentrated upon the
prescribed behavior for guests and hosts particularly at meals, and the reasons stated
or implied for these moves.
In all the culture and traditions examined about hospitality in especially in the form of
the guest meal, J. Koenig (1987) found them marked by exchanges of spiritual and /
or material goods. These exchanges frequently have the effect of multiplying
blessings and merit for the participants beyond the sum total of resources brought by
the guests and hosts. Sometimes gods, dead relatives and forces of nature are thought to
be present at the meal. In every case, their influence is felt, typically as a communion
or production alliance with the deeper forces of the universe.
In classical Greek and Latin literature, hospitality is an eminently practical virtue.
Through gift exchanges and the sharing of food or shelter peace and harmony are
achieved in what would otherwise be a chaotic world. In the Greek epic tradition, the
gods themselves sometimes put on human disguises and assume the role of guests. On
these occasions when they are welcomed, they respond with good news (Odyssey
1:180 ff) or extraordinary gifts (Ovid Metamorphoses 8:678 ff).
For the ancient Greeks and Romans hospitality was a sure sign of civilization and
religion in practice. From the Homeric period onwards the Greek world considered that
only "barbarians" were inhospitable. The welcome of the stranger was not to be
restricted to material succour but had perforce to respect his humanity. In the ancient
and modern culture of nomadic peoples, too, hospitality means a vital necessity
which has become a virtue. J. Danielou said that civilization took a decisive step,
perhaps the decisive step, the day when the stranger stopped being an enemy and became
a guest; the day, that is, when the human community was created.
II. A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF PLEASURE
Many people today are concerned about the apparent incompatability of
religion and modern forms of tourism which seems to be based on hedonism. If
Christians are concerned with the God of everyday living, then God is in fact as
present in the pleasures and playfulness of human life as He is in pain. To do so, they
need to return to the sources of their faith. They need to reinterpret and reassess the
past interpretations which have been handed down to them from their Judeo-Christian
heritage. A first immediate impression is that the biblical text has nothing immediate to
say to their modern dilemma of reconciling religion and pleasure.
However, there are two primary or preliminary points which emerge from a study of the
Bible in relation to the pleasures of everyday life. Firstly, in a general way, eating,
drinking and sexuality are implicitly part of the structure of creation. Food and drink
are fundamental to creation and an essential part or aspect of God's creativity and the