Dr John Louis Esposito was a pioneering scholar of Islam, distinguished professor at Georgetown University, and founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU). He passed away in Philadelphia following complications from heart surgery.

Dr Esposito was born in New York from an Italian-American family. He initially studied to become a Catholic priest before transitioning to a life of interfaith academic exploration. After earning his PhD in Religious Studies from Temple University, Philadelphia, he emerged as a leading voice dedicated to examining world religions with his characteristic empathy and deep study and thought.

His contributions to his field were immense and included authoring and/or editing more than 50 books, including Islam: The Straight Path and Who Speaks for Islam? At Georgetown University he served as Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Religion, International Affairs and Islamic Studies, and founded the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in 1993 to foster dialogue and eliminate persistent misconceptions. He also established The Bridge Initiative at Georgetown to monitor, research and combat institutional Islamophobia globally.

Throughout his professional life he would challenge those reductionist frameworks such as the Clash of Civilizations, and he became a trusted resource and mentor for many journalists, students and policymakers. He is remembered globally by academic institutions, civil rights organisations and international leaders as a relentless builder of interfaith bridges. Past colleagues, students and leaders remember him for his unflappable and courageous personality, for his quick wit and moral clarity, who humanised the Muslim world for western audiences. He reportedly took the Shahadah on his deathbed.