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.

Fetzer Institute launches $9 million cross-sector initiative to advance spiritually grounded transformation


30 organizations across Public Life, Spiritual Innovation, and Environment sectors join to foster a global movement rooted in love and sacredness.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Fetzer Institute has announced a $9 million initiative to fund and connect 30 leading organizations across three sectors: Public Life, Spiritual Innovation, and the Environment, to catalyze a spiritually grounded movement for holistic transformation.

Over a two-year period, the organizations will build relationships, share practices, and develop actionable strategies for fostering a more loving, connected, and sustainable world.

Jonathan Lever, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Fetzer Institute said, “These collaborations bring together remarkable leaders who are reimagining their fields, grounded in a spiritual approach that fosters transformation and leads to shared flourishing.”

Public Life 

The Public Life Collaborative brings together leaders who believe that spiritual formation and moral imagination can help heal a polarized civic culture.  

 Participants include: 

AND Campaign, Aspen Institute’s Religion and Society Program, Center for Christianity and Public Life, Hindus for Human Rights, Center for Public Justice, Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, Muslims for Progressive Values, One America Movement, The Trinity Forum, and The Witness Institute. 

These organizations are reclaiming the role of faith and compassion, with civic commitments to sacred solidarity, dignity affirmation, and the common good.  

Spiritual Innovation 

The Spiritual Innovation Collaborative gathers visionaries reimagining how people connect with the Sacred in today’s changing spiritual landscape.  

 Partners include: 

Beloved Garden, Center for Action and Contemplation, Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, Embrace Incubator (Holistic Underground), Faith Matters Network, Forum for Theological Exploration, Glean Network, Inayatiyya Sufi Order International, Sacred Design Lab, Unitarian Universalist Association, and Wesleyan Impact Partners.

These leaders are developing new forms of spiritual community and practice, translating ancient wisdom for modern life and nurturing authenticity, creativity, and inclusion.

Environment  

The Environment Collaborative unites organizations working at the intersection of ecology, spirituality, and Indigenous wisdom.  

 Participants include: 

Green the Church, The Loka Initiative, Global Optimism, Center for Earth Ethics, Conscious Food System Alliance, The Cultural Conservancy, Native American Rights Fund, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, and the Resilience Project (Commonweal). 

Together, these partners are confronting ecological indifference and exploitation through a lens of sacred interconnectedness and faithful just stewardship. 

“Lasting change requires more than new policies or programs; it requires a shift in worldview,” said Steven Harris, Vice President of Ecosystem Transformation at the Fetzer Institute. “By engaging these fields through the common thread of the Sacred, we hope to nurture a movement capable of transforming how humanity lives with one another and the Earth.” 

###

About the Fetzer Institute: 
The Fetzer Institute’s mission is to help build the spiritual foundation for a loving world. Learn more at fetzer.org and sign up for Fetzer’s newsletter at fetzer.org/subscribe 

Contact:
Silma Suba
The Fetzer Institute
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/2026/02/12/fetzer-institute-launches-9-million-cross-sector-initiative-to-advance-spiritually-grounded-transformation/