A few months ago, when the two of us sat down to discuss ideas for our first issue as editors of Brownstone, the first topic we came up with was Faith.

Kristen shared a story about photographing last year’s Ramadan service at the 96th Street Mosque (see page 10 for our interview with the mosque’s Imam) for an article she was writing on the holiday. Having spent her middle school years in the mostly Muslim country of The Gambia, she admitted feeling smug and self-assured in her knowledge of the faith as she entered in what she thought was an overly conservative costume of head scarf, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. What she hadn’t thought about, however, was the two inches of skin between her shirt and pants that was visible when she bent over to take pictures. After only ten minutes, a well-postured and regal-looking woman approached her and kindly asked her to cover up or leave. Flushed with embarrassment, she quickly tied a sweater around her waist and spent the rest of the evening taking pictures standing upright.

The lesson seems obvious, but it’s also something we tend to forget. Living in New York, we tend to think of ourselves as extraordinarily in tune with other people and other faiths. The truth is, there’s always more to learn. Even living immersed in a culture for years, she hadn’t begun to grapple with the complexities of its faith. She came to the masjid overly assured that she was doing everything right, only to offend the Islamic faith on one of the holiest days on its calendar.

Faith is something that brings unity and disparity to the American culture at the same time. It’s a topic we’re all familiar with, something we contend with in some way or another on a daily basis, and yet it’s something we practice so differently. It’s something that’s intensely personal and extremely political.

Kristen’s mishap at the mosque has only heightened her interest in exploring other faiths — and we hope this issue of Brownstone will inspire you to do the same. The pages of this issue explore religious practices from Wicca and Islam to Scientology. We did our best to raise questions, and maybe you’ll find some answers — or at the very least, something new and interesting.

You probably also noticed that Brownstone has a new look. In following the footsteps of our (amazing) predecessors, we’re continually striving to make Brownstone as relevant, interesting, and diverse as possible. We’ve added more regular content, like an Upfront section, a photo essay, and a Q&A. We hope you enjoy.