Religions Around The World

In the early morning hours, monks can be seen walking on their alms round in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Showing humility and detachment from worldly goods, the monk walks slowly and only stops if he is called. Standing quietly, with his bowl open, the local Buddhists give him rice, or flowers, or an envelope containing money.  In return, the monks bless the local Buddhists and wish them a long and fruitful life.
Christians Celebrate Good Friday
Enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in St. Mary's Church in Secunderabad, India. Only 2.3% of India's population is Christian. 
Ancient interior mosaic in the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
The Church of the Holy Saviour in Istanbul, Turkey is a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church.
Dome of the Rock located in the Old City of Jerusalem
The site's great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and to the belief that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure.
Holi Festival in Mathura, India
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the end of winter. Also known as the “festival of colors”,  Holi is primarily observed in South Asia but has spread across the world in celebration of love and the changing of the seasons.
Jewish father and daughter pray at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.
Known in Hebrew as the Western Wall, it is one of the holiest sites in the world. The description, "place of weeping", originated from the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temple and praying for its rebuilding at the site of the Western Wall.
People praying in Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan
The temple is dedicated to both Taoism and Buddhism.
People praying in the Grand Mosque in Ulu Cami
This is the most important mosque in Bursa, Turkey and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture built in 1399.
Savior Transfiguration Cathedral of the Savior Monastery of St. Euthymius
Located in Suzdal, Russia, this is a church rite of sanctification of apples and grapes in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located in Kyoto, Japan
It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. Fushimi Inari is the most important Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.
Ladles at the purification fountain in the Hakone Shrine
Located in Hakone, Japan, this shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine.  At the purification fountain, ritual washings are performed by individuals when they visit a shrine. This ritual symbolizes the inner purity necessary for a truly human and spiritual life.
Hanging Gardens of Haifa are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The Shrine of the Báb is where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith, have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís.
Pilgrims praying at the Pool of the Nectar of Immortality and Golden Temple
Located in Amritsar, India, the Golden Temple is one of the most revered spiritual sites of Sikhism. It is a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to worship God equally. Over 100,000 people visit the shrine daily.
Entrance gateway of Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple Kowloon
Located in Hong Kong, China, the temple is dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong. The Taoist temple is famed for the many prayers answered: "What you request is what you get" via a practice called kau cim.
Christian women worship at a church in Bois Neus, Haiti.
Haiti's population is 94.8 percent Christian, primarily Catholic. This makes them one of the most heavily Christian countries in the world.

World Religions News

ECPubs wins prestigious CMA Book Award for “Lectures from Oxford” by world-renowned Orthodox theologian

Lectures from Oxford by the late Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, has received the Catholic Media Association Book Awards’ first place in the “Religious Book Series” category.

Fairfax, Va. – Eastern Christian Publications is honored to announce that its acclaimed series, Lectures from Oxford by the late Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, has received the Catholic Media Association Book Awards’ First Place in the “Religious Book Series” category.

This momentous recognition celebrates a landmark contribution to contemporary Eastern Christian thought—an extraordinary series of lectures that, until now, were only heard by Oxford theological students. Thanks to Jack Figel’s (ECP Publisher) exclusive video recording and transcriptions, Lectures from Oxford now takes that rich academic and spiritual experience beyond the university walls. With profound insight into Patristics, Theology, Ecumenism, Liturgy, Spirituality, and Church History, this series invites readers into the depth and warmth of the Eastern Christian tradition—just as if they were students in one of his unforgettable Oxford classes.

“Kallistos had a natural gift of weaving together the writing of many sources into a single tapestry and was both engaging and educational,” according to the Preface of Volume II: Theology by John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and close personal advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Presented in a beautifully produced, multi-volume set with photos, the series captures the warmth, wit, and profound wisdom that made Metropolitan Kallistos a delight in the classroom and a bridge-builder between East and West, tradition and modernity. These lectures serve as an essential resource for clergy, catechists, seminarians, scholars, and all Christians eager to deepen their understanding of the riches of the Eastern tradition.

In the same spirit of theological depth and liturgical insight, Eastern Christian Publications has also released Lectures from Rome—an extraordinary archive of 3 complete books and 30 transcribed video lectures by the legendary liturgist Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ, recorded over the last two decades. It also includes 15 transcribed plenary sessions delivered by him at Orientale Lumen Conferences around the world. The collection contains ecumenical Forewords by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. This powerful companion series illuminates the living tradition of Byzantine worship through the lens of one of the most respected voices in modern liturgical scholarship. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to own two historic collections of Eastern Christian thought—recognized and revered by both East and West.

Click here to order your copy of Lectures from Oxford by Metropolitan Kallistos now.

Click here to order your copy of Lectures from Rome by Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ.

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Contact:
Jack Figel
Eastern Christian Publications
(703) 691-8862
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RNS or Religion News Foundation.

Original Source:

https://religionnews.com/2025/07/01/ecpubs-wins-prestigious-cma-book-award-for-lectures-from-oxford-by-world-renowned-orthodox-theologian/