Presbyterian Outlook's Page Turners - Spring break reading ☀️

Spring break reading Dear Outlook Readers,   As I pack my bag and load my Kindle for an upcoming spring break trip, I marvel at the breadth and depth of reading choices among recent releases. I’m working on our summer books issue (coming this July!), and here’s a sneak peek at the books I’ll recommend.   If non-fiction is your jam, consider Imani Perry’s Black in Blues, a lyrical reflection on Blackness, Geraldine Brooks’ gut-wrenching Memorial Days or Dr. Adam Ratner’s timely Booster Shots, a historical and medical explanation for why misinformation about vaccines has allowed measles to resurface in America. For fiction, you can’t go wrong with the latest from the brilliant Anne Tyler – Three Days in June featuring her distinctive quirky characters and thoughtful reflection. Or consider Booker Prize-nominated Stone Yard Devotional, Charlotte Wood’s haunting story of an Australian woman seeking peace in a religious community.   This month’s quoted book, Becoming the Pastor’s Wife is a meticulously researched work of church history that will have you turning pages like a whodunnit. It’s even inspired the compelling podcast “All the Buried Women,” which digs deeper into one of the book’s threads – the Southern Baptist Convention’s systematic efforts to quelch female leadership. Finally, our book of the month, Disciples of White Jesus, studies the religiously-based hatred and acts of violence perpetrated by young White men in America, and it’s a harrowing read.   Happy Reading,   Amy Pagliarella Book Review Editor BOOKS OF THE MONTH Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood Angela Denker Broadleaf Books, 256 pages Published March 25, 2025   Like Angela Denker, I am a pastor and parent of two boys. So I was drawn to the shocking, yet unsurprising title, Disciples of White Jesus. Denker explores the rise in the radicalization of young White men in America, wondering about the role of right-wing Christianity. By visiting places such as The Citadel (a military academy) and churches, like the one where pastor Mark Driscoll “depict(s) an angry, violent God,” Denker connects these teachings to acts of violence.   Most heartbreaking is her research into Dylann Roof, who massacred nine Black Christians after joining them for Bible study. While Roof remains unrepentant, his family’s pastor, who preaches a loving and inclusive gospel, is ashamed and confused. Was it simply Roof’s status as an outsider, lacking in friends or a positive sense of self that led him to be radicalized online? Could more regular participation in his Lutheran church have in some way inoculated him, leaving him less susceptible to hateful ideologies?   While Denker isn’t prescriptive, these stories highlight those who offer a more excellent way: Parents who encourage their sons’ vulnerability, pastors who invite openness rather than fear, teachers who show middle school boys how to regulate their own emotions, and individuals who have found grace-filled Christian communities. She believes that the stories will save us. “The best care is forged in relationship,” she writes, and so perhaps those of us in a position to nurture young men and boys will find inspiration and tangible approaches in Disciples of White Jesus. QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Is biblical authority really the reason behind the different ways we categorize women who do pastoral work? Or is something else going on — something that history shows us is connected to redefinitions of power, hierarchy, and authority working to privilege male clergy over female clergy and dependent ministry roles for women over independent ones?”   Becoming the Pastor’s Wife: How Marriage Replaced Ordination as a Woman’s Path to Ministry Beth Allison Barr Brazos Press, 256 pages March 18, 2025 Book Giveaway!    Congratulations to last month’s winner Anna Gnann. Thanks to our friends at Broadleaf Books, they received a copy of The Wounds Are the Witness. This month, one fortunate reader will receive a copy of Becoming the Pastor’s Wife, written by Beth Allison Barr and generously donated by our friends at Brazos Press. If you're reading this note, then you're all set! Know someone else who should be reading Page Turners? Send them this link and they'll get entered for a chance to win, too. The contest closes on April 21. OTHER READS Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity Maria Bowler’s "Making Time" offers a fresh, creative approach to time, moving beyond productivity to embrace presence, curiosity, and the joy of making. — Amy Pagliarella Love’s Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis Norman Wirzba offers a theology of hope in “a time of crisis.” Amy Pagliarella reviews Wirzba's latest book. Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis after Losing Faith in the Bible Liz Charlotte Grant addresses recovering fundamentalists, inviting them to rediscover the relevance of Scripture throughout the pages of "Knock at the Sky," writes Emery J. Cummins. Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum make a compelling case that America’s “ungoverning” may lead to a national government so weak that no party or leader can govern. Paul B. Dornan reviews their new book.

Did you know loneliness is America’s most significant health problem, according to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy in 2022? Explore biblical wisdom and practical steps to cultivate meaningful friendships with this “Friendship” Bible study by Katy Shevel.