It’s a heavenly time for the Godbeat.

For the second year in a row, journalism’s most prestigious awards have recognized the transcendent work of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette religion editor Peter Smith.

Smith and two colleagues — Stephanie Strasburg and Shelly Bradbury — were honored this week as Pulitzer Prize finalists for “an unprecedented investigation of child sexual abuse and cover-ups in the insular Amish and Mennonite communities.”

Just last year, Smith was a key part of the Post-Gazette team that received a Pulitzer for its “immersive, compassionate coverage of the massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue that captured the anguish and resilience of a community thrust into grief.”

I asked Smith, who is president of the Religion News Association, for his takeaway on what the latest Pulitzer nod means for the Godbeat.

Here’s what he told me:

Religion journalism is vital, just as local journalism is vital, and both are central here. Our newspaper recognized the importance of this story and committed to investing our time and resources into understanding the problem in its unique cultural context, then reporting and telling the story through word and image.

I think that having a background in covering the Plain churches helped me as I got to know and understand the sources in our stories. More than one reader has expressed appreciation that we maintained a respect for the Plain culture even while addressing how aspects of the culture itself can be factors in the abuse. (For example, the Amish and Mennonites are widely admired for their magnanimous forgiveness, but that same virtue has been used to pressure a victim into reconciling with a predator, and to spare the latter from the legal consequences of criminal acts.)

There can also be a multiplier effect when a news organization commits to religion journalism. A religion reporter can team up with other journalists on other beats, and they can build on each other’s expertise. Shelly and Stephanie — both remarkable journalists — had already been part of our team coverage of Tree of Life and the Pennsylvania grand jury investigation into the Catholic Church. When we started on this project, they immediately grasped its significance, and they immersed themselves in learning about the religion and culture of the Plain churches.

We all worked together on these stories, but you'll see that their bylines are atop some of the most spiritually poignant narratives, such as Kay's, Joanna's and the Burkholders'. As we were bringing the project to completion, our editor commented that this is the kind of story we go into journalism to tell.

Look for more on Smith in the “Inside the Godbeat” section of this week’s column.

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. Nuns vs. the coronavirus: The Atlantic’s Emma Green is a master storyteller, as I’ve noted repeatedly.

This riveting piece on a Catholic nursing home — where one-fifth of residents have died from the coronavirus — is one of her best. It weaves together the personal and theological details in a remarkable way.

2. A pastor in the Bronx thought he knew hardship. Then his church saw 13 coronavirus deaths: This is another superb yet super-sad account of a religious community being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington Post religion writer Sarah Pulliam Bailey’s lede is exceptional (one of the best of her award-winning career) and perfectly sets the scene.

Continue reading “Investigation Into Amish, Mennonite Sex Abuse Honored As Pulitzer Finalist” by Bobby Ross, Jr., at Religion Unplugged.