Presbyterian Outlook's Page Turners - Celebrating Mr. Rogers Day 📚

Won't you be my neighbor? Dear Outlook Readers,   Happy Mr. Rogers Day to all who celebrate! March 20 is Fred Rogers’ birthday, and a day set aside to celebrate his life and values. Those of us who grew up on “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” learned kindness, tolerance and peacemaking from the soft-spoken Presbyterian minister. While the TV show ended in 2001, there continue to be numerous resources inspired by Rogers’ ministry that help us grow as neighbors, including this month’s featured book.   “Page Turners” readers love Mr. Rogers; when I reviewed This Beautiful Day many of you clicked our link to purchase, making this warm and thoughtful devotional based on Fred Rogers’ teachings the most purchased book of 2024. I pray that today you will get out into your own neighborhoods, seek out those you may not always think of as neighbors, and find meaningful ways to get to know them!   Happy reading, Amy Pagliarella Book Review Editor BOOKS OF THE MONTH Love Your Neighbor: How Psychology Can Enliven Faith and Transform Community Katherine Douglass and Brittany M. Tausen Eerdmans, 240 pages Published January 15, 2026 “Love God, Love Neighbor.” I once guided a church’s Family Committee in establishing its purpose. After rejecting more complicated language, we settled on these simple words: "Love God, Love Neighbor." Since then, I’ve noticed this statement on church signs and websites, reinforcing that many of us believe our job as Christians is to love God and neighbor — and the two are inseparable. But how? And who? Theologian Katherine Douglass and Social Psychologist Brittany Tausen draw on their respective fields to answer these questions in Love Your Neighbor. “In essence,” they write, “we hope to make it easier for you to do what you already want to do, to love better.” Love Your Neighbor brings together research, anecdotes, and scriptural wisdom to help readers create environments that foster the most meaningful connections with a broad range of neighbors. For example, when we understand that we are statistically more likely to build relationships with people nearby, we can adjust our routines to meet more people, perhaps by walking more or taking public transit. Similarly, when Tausen describes a study showing that people responded more positively to someone who regularly sat near them (even if they never interacted), we might be more intentional about seeking out less familiar neighbors. Each chapter opens with “Learning from Psychology” — insights based on reputable studies that debunk some of our assumptions about the actions that lead to true connection. “Thinking Theologically” sections engage biblical passages, and chapters conclude with practical suggestions in “Living Faithfully.” Love Your Neighbor isn’t a quick and easy read. These authors go in depth and, at times, describe studies and research in more detail than necessary. Yet they are thoughtful guides who forge a logical path through each concept, encouraging readers to try their ideas in their own neighborhoods. This provides a helpful guide for small groups or individuals seeking to make real change in their communities and in themselves. QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Who is the sower? (They are) the one sowing the word of God. I especially appreciate in church hearing the Word in worship. We read, read, read all the time, but—to repeat myself—for centuries, the Scriptures were primarily passed along by being heard. Someone read the words aloud, and everyone else listened. They were a group gathered, whether in church or someone’s home. There’s a power to hearing something in community. Being made aware of the distractions can be part of it. ‘Wait…wait…what did you say?’ Wait…wait…what did Jesus say?” Everlasting Jesus: 40 Days of Timeless Wisdom for Modern Living Rick Hamlin Morehouse Publishing, 224 pages Published March 10, 2026 Book Giveaway!    Congratulations to Page Turners reader Kendra Ethington. Thanks to our friends at WaterBrook, she received a copy of The Great Waking Up by Sarah Shin and Shin Maeng. 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 March 17. OTHER READS This Beautiful Day: Daily Wisdom from Mister Rogers Who better to speak to this time and place than everyone’s favorite Presbyterian minister, Mr. Rogers? — Amy Pagliarella When Grief Comes Home: A Gentle Guide for Living Through Loss While Supporting Your Child "When Grief Comes Home" is a tender and practical guide that helps grieving parents both care for themselves and support their children through loss. — Amy Pagliarella Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America Beth Macy’s return to Urbana, Ohio, reveals a community shaped by fear, resilience, deep roots and limited opportunity. Amy Pagliarella's review explores how Macy's reporting helps readers see neighbors more clearly. Reading the Bible on Turtle Island: An Invitation to North American Indigenous Interpretation What might Scripture reveal when read through Indigenous history and experience? Eric Garner reviews "Reading the Bible on Turtle Island."

In a moment when empathy is often misunderstood — and sometimes dismissed as weakness — “On the Road to Empathy” invites churches to return to Scripture and rediscover empathy as a deeply Christian practice.