Professor John L. Esposito, widely considered one of the world’s most respected non-Muslim scholars of Islam, has died at the age of 86, his family and Georgetown University announced.

He died on July 15 after spending more than 50 years teaching, writing and working to dispel misconceptions about Islam in the West while encouraging greater understanding between Muslims and other communities.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1940, Esposito studied under the late Palestinian-American scholar Isma’il Raji Al Faruqi, an experience that shaped his lifelong commitment to presenting Islam from its own intellectual and religious perspective.

He began his academic career at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, where he taught world religions and later chaired the Department of Religious Studies before joining Georgetown University, Al Jazeera said in a report.

At Georgetown, Esposito served as University Professor of Religion, International Affairs and Islamic Studies.

In 1993, he founded the Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, later renamed the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, which became a globally recognised institution for interfaith dialogue.

He also established the Bridge Initiative, a research project focused on monitoring and countering Islamophobia.

Over the course of his career, Esposito authored, co-authored or edited more than 50 books, many of which were translated into dozens of languages.

His most influential works include Islam: The Straight Path, The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?, What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, The Future of Islam and Islamophobia: The Challenge of Pluralism in the 21st Century.

His 2007 book, Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, co-authored with Dalia Mogahed and based on interviews conducted across more than 35 Muslim-majority countries, became one of the most widely cited studies on Muslim public opinion.

Esposito also served as editor-in-chief of several major reference works, including The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, The Oxford History of Islam and The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World.

A practising Catholic, Esposito frequently said his own faith inspired his commitment to fostering understanding and dialogue between religious communities.

Throughout his career, he held leadership roles in several academic organisations, including serving as president of both the Middle East Studies Association of North America and the American Academy of Religion.

His contributions earned numerous honours, including the American Academy of Religion’s Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion and Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Award for Outstanding Contributions to Islamic Studies.

Tributes poured in from scholars, religious leaders and public figures following news of his death.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim described Esposito as “a true friend of the Islamic world”, recalling a friendship spanning more than five decades and praising his efforts to deepen global understanding of Islam, particularly in the years following the September 11 attacks.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also paid tribute, with Executive Director Nihad Awad describing Esposito as an influential scholar who dedicated his life to promoting an accurate understanding of Islam and Muslims at a time when prejudice and misinformation were widespread.

Esposito is survived by his wife, Dr Jeanette P. Esposito.