▁Chicago ▁Sun ▁Times , ▁The ▁Chicago ▁Trib une , ▁So j ourn ers ▁magazine , ▁Religion ▁News ▁Service , ▁and ▁the ▁Orange ▁County ▁Register ▁in ▁Southern ▁California . ▁F als ani ▁is ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁several ▁non - f iction ▁books ▁on ▁religious , ▁spiritual , ▁and ▁cultural ▁issues . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁Religion ▁W riter ▁of ▁the ▁Year , ▁as ▁awarded ▁by ▁the ▁Religion ▁New sw rit ers ▁Association , ▁and ▁has ▁twice ▁been ▁a ▁final ist ▁for ▁the ▁Temple ton ▁Religion ▁Re porter ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁award . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁F als ani ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁She ▁graduated ▁from ▁Whe aton ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁and ▁holds ▁master s ▁degrees ▁in ▁journal ism ▁from ▁the ▁Med ill ▁School ▁of ▁Journal ism ▁at ▁North western ▁University , ▁and ▁in ▁the ological ▁studies ▁from ▁Gar rett – E v angel ical ▁The ological ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁E van ston , ▁Illinois . ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁into ▁a ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁family ▁of ▁Irish ▁and ▁Italian ▁descent , ▁but ▁her ▁parents ▁left ▁the ▁Catholic ▁church ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁old . ▁With ▁her ▁younger ▁brother , ▁she ▁was ▁re ared ▁as ▁an ▁evangel ical ▁Protest ant ▁from ▁grade ▁school ▁forward , ▁largely ▁in ▁a ▁Southern ▁Bapt ist ▁church ▁in ▁Fair field , ▁Connecticut . ▁F als ani ▁attended ▁Christian ▁Heritage ▁School , ▁an ▁evangel ical ▁Christian ▁prep ▁school