Hospitable Classrooms: Biblical Hospitality and Inclusive Education

Abstract

THIS PAPER CONTRIBUTES to a Christian hermeneutic of special education by suggesting the biblical concept of hospitality as a necessary characteristic of classroom and school environments in which students with disabilities and other marginalized students can be effectively incorporated into the body of the classroom. Christian hospitality, seen in the teacher's attitude and approach to students and in the milieu of the classroom, conveys welcome, acceptance, and belonging Rather than seeing diversity as a threat to community, hospitable classrooms welcome and seek to build relationships among all the students.