John Esposito: key obituary facts
Is John Esposito dead? Yes. John Esposito died on July 15, 2026, at age 86.
Cause of death: John Esposito's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was John Esposito known for?
He was an American professor of Middle Eastern studies (born 1940).
More about John Esposito
Born: 19 May 1940.
Place of birth: Brooklyn.
Gender: male.
Occupation: university teacher, writer, religious studies scholar, Islamicist.
Nationality: United States.
Education: St. John's University, Temple University.
Employer: Georgetown University.
Notable work: The Islamic World: Past and Present.
Also known as: John Esposito, John L. Esposito.
John Esposito, the American academic and scholar of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, died on July 15, 2026.
Born John Louis Esposito on May 19, 1940, in Brooklyn, he taught at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he served as professor of religion, international affairs, and Islamic studies. He was also the founding director of Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding.
Esposito studied at St. John’s University and Temple University, and his scholarship included The Islamic World: Past and Present, along with Islam and Politics and Islam: The Straight Path, the latter of which became a widely used work in the field.