Meer dan liefdadigheid

De veelzijdige interpretatie van caritas en disability history in religieuze context

Samenvatting

This article investigates the role of caritas – Christian love of mankind – within nineteenth- and twentieth century Catholic education for the blind in the town of Grave. Using institutional reports and classroom accounts, this study examines how care practices within Catholic education for the blind navigated the tension between devotion and hierarchy. While caritas reflected genuine commitment and pedagogical intent, it also sustained asymmetrical relationships in which people with disabilities were largely positioned as passive recipients. By integrating insights from disability history and religious studies, the analysis reveals how charitable care created avenues for education and inclusion, yet simultaneously reinforced structures of dependency and social inequality. The case of Grave illustrates a shift in the meaning of caritas – from charitable provision toward ideals of independence – while the religious framing of care as a spiritual duty remained a guiding principle throughout.