Toward Adult Cross-Sex Friendship

Current public debate about sexual correctness has exacerbated traditional anxieties about adult cross-sex friendship. In seeking a Christian understanding of such relationships, the nature of friendship is explored by distinguishing it from other personal relationships and by overviewing a model of friendship. Then, after describing the normative barriers to cross-sex friendship, O'Meara's four specific challenges are discussed in light of Scripture: (a) determining the type of emotional bond represented by the relationship, (b) contending with the issue of sexuality, (c) dealing with the barrier of inequality, and (d) presenting the relationship as authentic to relevant audiences. Finally, Christian recommendations for the practice of cross-sex friendship are presented.