Voices outside the camp: Some significant nonpastoral books in 1979–80

A review article of recent books in disciplines related to pastoral care which may increase the effectiveness of the pastor's care and counseling ministries. Books selected challenge prevailing assumptions, offer new ways to perceive the pastoral task, and provide new and significant information. Books are reviewed from personality and psychotherapy, family history, theory and therapy, studies of violence and victimization, psychology and theology, and general ministry theory.Dr. Hunter is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Book Review Editor ofPastoral Psychology. His address is: Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.     

Selective Synaptic Plasticity within the Cerebellar Cortex Following Complex Motor Skill Learning

Complex motor skill learning, but not mere motor activity, leads to an increase in synapse number within the cerebellar cortex. The present experiment used quantitative electron microscopy to determine which synapse types were altered in number. Adult female rats were allocated to either an acrobatic condition (AC), a voluntary exercise condition (VX), or an inactive condition (IC). AC animals were trained to traverse an elevated obstacle course requiring substantial motor coordination to complete. VX animals were housed with unlimited access to running wheels and IC animals received no motor training but were handled briefly each day. Results showed the AC animals to have significantly more parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synapses than both the VX and IC animals. No other synapse type was significantly altered. Thus, the learning-dependent increase in synapse number observed within the cerebellar cortex is accomplished primarily through the addition of parallel fiber synapses.     

The rise and fall of Christian science

This paper applies a general theory of why religious movements succeed or fail to explain the meteoric rise of Christian Science, and to explain why the movement began an equally precipitous decline and may soon simply disappear. The analysis is based on quantitative data, on field work and on a variety of historical documents. The fall of Christian Science has many aspects, but particular emphasis is given to inadequate fertility, ineffective socialization, compromises in distinctiveness, a decline in the relative effectiveness of its placebo effects and to the greatly increased occupational opportunities for women.     

Edward Bordin: Fusing Work and Play

This article contains highlights of an interview with Edward Bordin, who later died on August 24, 1992, after a long battle with prostate cancer. It focuses both on his professional history and contributions to the field as well as on his personal life. We were honored to learn from his wife Ruth that portions of the material that follows were read at his funeral service.