Blogging Religiously

From a New York point of view

Who? Why?

January

I know these things happen all the time, but you still have to ask: Who would steal baby Jesus from a manger?

That’s Father Lucian Beltzner of the Church of the Transfiguration in Tarrytown and the church’s manger.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 11:13 am by Gary Stern.
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About this blog

Religion writer Gary Stern comments on news and trends in the world of religion — in the Lower Hudson Valley and beyond.

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About the author

Gary Stern has covered religion for The Journal News for a decade. He's reported on just about every major religious group in New York's spiritual mix and covered many of the significant trends, stories and people of the day.

The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.

Stern was once leery of taking on the religion beat. It's a sensitive subject, you know. But a wise editor told him "Just cover it like you would cover anything."

Since then, he's learned a lot about many hard-to-define elements of religious life, including the modern meaning of religious history, the myriad ways that people reconcile their faith with everyday life, and the unspoken cultural characteristics that help to define each faith and sect.

He's won some awards along the way, including the two highest honors given by the Religion Newswriters Association: National Religion Writer of the Year (2001) and National Religion Reporter of the Year (2005).