For generations, Italian craftspeople have built scenes depicting Jesus’ birth, sometimes including figures of celebrities.

As Nativity scenes depicting ICE draw attention and outrage, faith leaders are grappling with politics in religion and urging a closer reading of the Christmas story.

A Massachusetts church is causing controversy with what’s missing from its annual Nativity scene and an accompanying statement. St. Susanna, a Catholic church in the Boston suburb of Dedham, displayed ...