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John Esposito

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John Esposito
Esposito, c. 1983
Esposito, c. 1983
Born John Louis Esposito
May 19, 1940
New York City, U.S.
Died July 15, 2026 (aged 86)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupations Academic, editor, writer
Spouse Jean Esposito
(m. 1965)
Academic background
Education St Antony's College, Oxford (BA)
St John's University (MA)
Temple University (PhD)
Influences Ismail al-Faruqi
Academic work
Discipline Middle Eastern, religious, Islamic studies
Institutions Georgetown University
Notable works The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, Islam: The Straight Path
Signature

John Louis Esposito (May 19, 1940 – July 15, 2026)[1] was an American academic who was a professor of Middle Eastern and religious studies, as well as a scholar of Islamic studies.[2] He served as professor of religion, international affairs, and Islamic studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Esposito was also the founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding at Georgetown.

Early life and education

Esposito was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1940.[3] He was a Catholic and came from an Italian-American family.[4][5]

Esposito gained a BA in philosophy at St Antony's College, Oxford, in 1963. He gained an MA in theology at St John's University in 1966. He gained his doctorate at Temple University in 1974 with Islamic Studies as his major and comparative religions as his minor. He completed his doctoral studies under the supervision of the influential Islamic scholar Isma'il Raji al-Faruqi.[3]

Academic career

For nearly 20 years after completing his Ph.D., Esposito taught religious studies (including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam) at the College of the Holy Cross, a 4-years Jesuit college in Massachusetts. At the College of the Holy Cross, he held the Loyola Professor of Middle East Studies position, was the chair of the Department of Religious Studies, and director of the College of the Holy Cross's Center for International Studies.[6] At Georgetown University, Esposito held the position of university professor and taught as both professor of religion and international affairs and professor of Islamic studies.[7]

Esposito published Islam and Politics in 1984, and Islam: The Straight Path in 1988.[8] Both books sold well, going through many editions. In addition to more than 35 books, he was editor-in-chief of a number of Oxford reference works, including The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, The Oxford History of Islam, The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World (six volumes), and Oxford Islamic Studies Online.[9]

In 1988, he was elected president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA).[3] He also served as president of the American Academy of Religion and president of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies. He served as vice chair of the board of directors of the Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy from 1999 to 2004 he was a member of the World Economic Forum's Council of 100 Leaders, the High Level Group of the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations and the E. C. European Network of Experts on De-Radicalisation. He was an advisor to the award-winning documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet (2002), produced by Unity Productions Foundation and broadcast by PBS.[9] A recipient of the American Academy of Religion's 2005 Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion and of Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam Award for Outstanding Contributions in Islamic Studies, in 2003 he received Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service Outstanding Teacher Award.[10][3]

He founded the Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding at Georgetown University in 1993 and was its founding director.[11] The center received a $20 million endowment from Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal "to advance education in the fields of Islamic civilization and Muslim-Christian understanding and strengthen its presence as a world leader in facilitating cross-cultural and inter-religious dialogue".[12]

Death

Esposito died on July 15, 2026, at the age of 86, due to complications from a heart surgery, in Philadelphia.[13] He is survived by his wife, Jean Esposito (Jeannette Paisker), whom he married in 1965.[14]

After his death, the Council on American–Islamic Relations and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent condolences; Ibrahim described Esposito as "an influential scholar who built the intellectual foundations for a deeper understanding of Islam in the West", and said that he and Esposito had been friends for more than 50 years.[15][16] Former Turkish President Abdullah Gül stated that Esposito's introduction of Islam to the West was "beautiful and graceful".[4]

Bibliography

Selected works as author, co-author, or editor, include titles listed below.

Editor

  • The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, as editor (1994), ISBN 0-19-512559-2
  • The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, as editor (1995, 4-volume set), ISBN 0-19-506613-8
  • The Islamic World: Past and Present, as editor (2004, 3-volume set), ISBN 0-19-516520-9
  • The Oxford History of Islam, as editor (2004), ISBN 0-19-510799-3
  • The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, as editor (2009, 5-volume set), ISBN 978-0-19-530513-5

Books

  • Political Islam: Radicalism, Revolution or Reform (1997), ISBN 1-55587-168-2
  • The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality? (3rd edition: 1999), ISBN 0-19-513076-6
  • Makers of Contemporary Islam, co-authored John Voll (2001), ISBN 0-19-514128-8
  • Women in Muslim Family Law, co-authored with Natana J. Delong-Bas (2nd edition: 2002) ISBN 0-8156-2908-7
  • Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam (2002), ISBN 0-19-515435-5
  • Islam: The Straight Path (1st edition: 1988, 3rd edition: 2004), ISBN 0-19-518266-9
  • The Future of Islam (2010), ISBN 0-19-516521-7
  • What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam (1st edition: 2002. 2nd edition: 2011), ISBN 978-0-19-979413-3
  • Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, co-authored with Dalia Mogahed (2008), ISBN 978-1-59562-017-0[17]

Collections

This section may include written or editorial contributions to collections of works by various scholars.

  • Voices of Resurgent Islam, as editor (1983), ISBN 0-19-503340-X
  • Islam and Democracy, as co-editor with John Voll (1996), ISBN 0-19-510816-7
  • Islam and Politics, as editor (1st edition: 1984, 4th edition: 1998), ISBN 0-8156-2774-2
  • Islam, Gender and Social Change, as co-editor with Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad (1997), ISBN 0-19-511357-8
  • Muslims on the Americanization Path?, as co-editor with Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad (2000), ISBN 0-19-513526-1
  • Iran at the Crossroads, as co-editor with R. K. Ramazani (2000), ISBN 0-312-23816-9
  • Modernizing Islam: Religion in the Public Sphere in the Middle East and Europe, as co-editor with Francois Burgat (2003), ISBN 0-8135-3198-5
  • Turkish Islam and the Secular State: The Gulen Movement, as co-editor with M. Hakan Yavuz (2003), ISBN 0-8156-3040-9
  • Islam in Asia: Religion, Politics, & Society, as editor (2006), ISBN 0-19-504082-1
  • Islamophobia: The Challenge of Pluralism in the 21st Century as co-editor with Ibrahim Kalin (2011), ISBN 978-0-19-975364-2

References

  1. Back to citation "John L. Esposito, PhD Obituary Jul 15, 2026". The Donohue Funeral Homes Inc.
  2. Back to citation El Mallouki, Habib (January 15, 2016). "Interview with the Islam scholar John Louis Esposito: Islam's image problem". Qantara.de – Dialogue with the Islamic World. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  3. Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 Back to citation occurrence 3.2 Back to citation occurrence 3.3 Habib, Heba (July 16, 2026). "John Esposito, pioneering scholar of Islam in the US, dies aged 86". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  4. Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 El-Sabawi, Yasmine (July 16, 2026). "John Esposito, would-be Catholic priest turned renowned scholar of Islam, dies aged 86". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on July 17, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  5. Back to citation Parray, Tauseef Ahmad (January 13, 2021). "On Reading John Esposito's Islam – The Straight Path". Greater Kashmir. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  6. Back to citation "John Esposito | Distinguished University Professor | Georgetown University". New Lines Institute. Archived from the original on July 17, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  7. Back to citation Academic Biography John L. Esposito. Georgetown University. Archived September 6, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 23, 2007.
  8. Back to citation "John Esposito, who let a billion Muslims speak for themselves, dies at 86". Muslim Network. July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  9. Back to citation occurrence 9.0 Back to citation occurrence 9.1 "John L. Esposito, veteran scholar of Islam, dies at 86". Maktoob. July 16, 2026. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  10. Back to citation Cooney, Siobhan (July 17, 2026). "John Louis Esposito (1940-2026)". Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  11. Back to citation "John L Esposito, leading scholar of Islam and outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights, dies aged 86". Middle East Monitor. July 16, 2026. Archived from the original on July 17, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  12. Back to citation Press Release: "Georgetown University Receives $20 Million Gift From Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal To Expand Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding". Office of Communications, Georgetown University, December 12, 2005. Archived September 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 23, 2007.
  13. Back to citation "John Louis Esposito (1940–2026)". ACMCU.edu. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026; Habib, Heba (July 16, 2026). "John Esposito, pioneering scholar of Islam in the US, dies aged 86". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026; El-Sabawi, Yasmine (July 16, 2026). "John Esposito, would-be Catholic priest turned renowned scholar of Islam, dies aged 86". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on July 17, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  14. Back to citation "John Louis Esposito (1940–2026)". ACMCU.edu. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  15. Back to citation "CAIR Offers Condolences on Passing of Respected Scholar Prof. John Esposito". CAIR. July 15, 2026. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  16. Back to citation "Anwar extends condolences over passing of top Islamic scholar John Esposito". New Straits Times. Bernama. July 16, 2026. Archived from the original on July 17, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  17. Back to citation Esposito, John L; Dalia Mogahed (2007). Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-59562-017-0.
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