Professor John Inazu, Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law & Religion, received the 2026 Senior Scholar Award from Rice University’s Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance.
The award recognizes scholars whose work has made lasting contributions to public understanding of religion and religious pluralism. During the event, Inazu delivered a public lecture focused on the importance of “learning to disagree” in civic and academic life.
Speaking to an audience of more than 50 attendees, including faculty, legal professionals, civic leaders, donors and university administrators, Inazu discussed his concept of “confident pluralism,” which encourages people to remain grounded in their beliefs while engaging respectfully with others.
“We must distinguish between seeing someone as wrong and seeing them as evil,” Inazu said, emphasizing that disagreement should leave room for open dialogue rather than exclusion.
Inazu also addressed growing distrust in shared institutions and the “moral polarization and epistemic fractures” shaping public discourse. Rather than avoiding disagreement, he argued that universities and civic spaces should foster thoughtful engagement across differences.
“The goal is not simply to learn how to disagree but to learn through those disagreements,” he said.
Congratulations to John Inazu on this well-deserved recognition of his leadership and scholarship in the fields of law, religion and pluralism.
