John Esposito, would-be Catholic priest turned renowned scholar of Islam, dies aged 86

John Esposito, would-be Catholic priest turned renowned scholar of Islam, dies aged 86 Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 07/16/2026 - 17:43 Esposito's distinguished career path was unexpectedly shaped by a Palestinian academic John Esposito, professor of religion, international affairs, and Islamic studies at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, speaks to Middle East Eye's Unapologetic podcast in August 2025 (Screengrab) Off John Esposito, a world-renowned American author, professor, and scholar of Islam who consistently challenged western stereotypes, died aged 86 on Wednesday, his colleagues at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, announced . A Catholic from an Italian family in Brooklyn, New York, Esposito spent a lifetime studying Islamic life, its laws, and its application to the political sphere around the world. He wrote, edited, and contributed to some 55 books on the subject, most of them confronting what he said were misunderstood and even manufactured narratives on Muslims, in particular in the post-9/11 era.