All Stories by Caleb K. Bell
Evangelicals see promise in immigration proposal
By Caleb K. Bell — April 17, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) Evangelicals' tentative endorsement of the Senate's immigration blueprint could be key because more than any other religious group, white evangelicals harbor the most reservations about opening citizenship to immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.
Obama awards Catholic army chaplain Medal of Honor
By Caleb K. Bell — April 11, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) A candidate for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama Thursday (April 11) at the White House.
Possible saint gets a big military honor from White House
By Caleb K. Bell — April 9, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) President Obama will award the Medal of Honor this week to an Army chaplain who died in a POW camp during the Korean War -- a pretty big deal if Emil Kapaun wasn't already a candidate for sainthood
Poll: Americans love the Bible but don’t read it much
By Caleb K. Bell — April 4, 2013
(RNS) More than half of Americans think the Bible has too little influence on a culture in moral decline, yet only one in five Americans read the Bible on a regular basis, according to a new survey.
Scholars piece together a ‘new’ New Testament
By Caleb K. Bell — March 28, 2013
(RNS) Though the project may seem heretical to some Christians, a group of scholars has added 10 new texts to the New Testament, including some that were rejected by the early church and others that just came to light in the last century.
Why the first Jesuit pope is a big deal
By Caleb K. Bell — March 14, 2013
WASHINGTON (RNS) As the first Jesuit pope, Francis is a game-changer for relations between the church and its largest religious order.
Reactions to Pope Francis’ election
By Caleb K. Bell — March 13, 2013
“The Catholic University of America is proud to congratulate Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio on his election as Pope. … We pray that the Catholic Church will grow under his guidance in wisdom and Christ’s grace. And we hope to welcome him to our campus some day.” — John Garvey, president of Catholic University of America […]
What’s in a name? For a new pope, quite a bit
By Caleb K. Bell — March 12, 2013
(RNS) No one knows what name the next pope will pick. But choosing a new moniker is a decision that's tied up in history, tradition and more than a little symbolic value.