Pastoral Abstracts

Abstract

Wolf Wolfensberger: scholar, does not hesitate to dramatically state change agent, and iconoclast his views. In the 1970s, he advocated Hank Bersani two constructs which have shaped disability services to the present day *** J of Religion, Disability and the principle of normalization, and the Health (2001) 4(2/3) pp.1-9 construct of Citizen Advocacy. "Who is this Wolf Although normalization had its roots in Wolfensberger, and why are we Scandinavia, it was Wolfsenberger in devoting an entire publication to his his 1972 paper "The principle of work?" With this rhetorical question, normalization in human services" who Bersani introduces us to the work and brought the concept to the U.S. and thought of one of the most who has successfully advocated for its controversial and challenging figures in acceptance. The titles of the papers the field of mental retardation in the included in the issue are: past quarter century. Bersani and the "The prophetic voice and presence of other contributors to this volume mentally retarded people in the world ~escribe him as having great today;" "An attempt toward a theology importance for stimulating debate and of social integration of devalued! discussion about religion, disability and handicapped people;" "An attempt to health. gain a better understanding from a This volume contains seven of Christian perspective of what "mental Wolfensberger's papers which present re~dation': is;" "~ow we carry the his religious and spiritual viewpoints on mlms~ with handicapped persons to disability. Aside from their intrinsic ~e pansh level;" "The most urgent importance they are difficult to locate. IS~Ues faci~g us as Christians concerned (Some exist only in mimeograph form.) ~th handlca~ped persons today;" Dennis Schurter, a chaplain in the The good hfe for mental retarded mental retardation field; Eric Pridmore, pe~o~s;" and "The ~ormati~e lack of a graduate student in religion and Christian. commumty m local disability; and Sandra Friedman a congregations as the central obstacle to leading physician in the field then offer a proper relationship with needy chapter-length comments about the members." man's impact on their work and on the "Let's get into character": a field as a whole, and Wolfensberger psychology of conversion in completes the volume with his Quentin Tarantino's Pulp responses to the three respondents. Fiction