Understanding Xenia: The Modern Imperative of Hospitality

Granted to mythical kings and fugitives alike, enshrined by gods and by communal, human consent, an ancient right since classical times, sanctuary has been a haven, a place of refuge and freedom from harm. It was a sacrilege to lay hands on a sanctuary-seeker: sanctuary was sacred.

But in our modern times, with growing crises in displacement, war, and xenophobia, could a revived practice of sanctuary offer refuge and a home for those who seek it? Award-winning novelist, historian, and mythographer Marina Warner contemplates the ancient roots of sanctuary, breathing new life into its imaginative and creative potential. From the stories of Oedipus to the apocrypha of the Holy Family, from sanctuaries made from relics to sanctuaries made from words, Marina joins us to renew this ancient right in the hopes of creating a more humane and hospitable world.

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