Friendship: Anthropology of Relational Interdependence? A Comparison between Reinders and Swinton

Abstract

When the discourses within the academic field of Disability studies and Disability theology concern inclusion, one of the dominant themes employed is the concept of friendship. The theological work of Hans Reinders and John Swinton have been among those most cited works among disability theologians. Their work on the revolving subject will be considered within the scope of this approach. In light of a comparative analysis, my attempt in this paper is to search whether their views on friendship involve ideas crucial for reconsidering friendship’s anthropology which, in my view, is crucial torethink friendship with disabled people and which, for such a reason, I will specify as an anthropology of relational interdependence.