CCAS Mourns the Passing of Prof. John Esposito

The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies mourns the passing of Professor John Esposito on July 15, 2026. We are deeply saddened by the loss of a dear colleague and leading scholar in the field of religious studies, Islam, and interfaith understanding.  

John was University Professor Emeritus of Religion and International Affairs and Professor of Islamic Studies at the School of Foreign Service. He also served as the founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the founding director of The Bridge Initiative on Protecting Pluralism and Ending Islamophobia.

Prof. Esposito joined the Georgetown faculty in 1993 and became a leading scholar of the study of religion and international affairs, focusing particularly on Islam. His body of work, which included more than 55 books and many more journal articles, helped to define and shape the modern study of Muslim societies.  He served as Editor-in-Chief of several Oxford University Press encyclopedia projects, and he was the Founding Editor of Oxford Islamic Studies online. During his career, John served terms as elected President of both the Middle East Studies Association and the American Academy of Religion.

Beyond his own scholarship, John built and led major centers, research programs, and institutional initiatives at Georgetown that advanced the study of Islam and Muslim societies.  He was instrumental in establishing the Malaysia Chair for the Study of Islam in Southeast Asia and the Hasim Sabbagh Fund for the study of the Islamic world. He obtained a transformative gift from the Alwaleed Foundation to permanently endow the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, where he served as the founding Director. He also created the Bridge Initiative, a project to monitor, document and combat Islamophobia on a global level.  

Prof. Esposito’s influence extended well beyond Georgetown. He served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of State and other government agencies and as an ambassador for the UN Alliance of Civilizations. He was also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Council of 100 Leaders and the European Network of Experts on De-Radicalization. During critical moments in global affairs, particularly the aftermath of 9/11, John’s scholarship and public commentary contributed to public understanding of Islam and Muslim societies. He was a frequent guest on mainstream media programs, writing for and giving interviews to newspapers and magazines in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, John was the recipient of the American Academy of Religion’s Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion, Pakistan’s Qaid-i-Azam Award for Outstanding Contributions in Islamic Studies, and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service Outstanding Teacher Award, as well as Georgetown’s Career Research Achievement Award.

John will be remembered as a formidable and prolific scholar, a mentor and teacher, and a lifelong advocate for religious understanding and for challenging religiously-based bigotry.  CCAS extends our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.