John Inazu is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis. His work examines the First Amendment freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion, as well as the legal and civic practices that enable people to live together across deep differences.

Inazu is the author of Liberty's Refuge (Yale University Press, 2012), Confident Pluralism (University of Chicago Press, 2016), and Learning to Disagree (Zondervan, 2024). He is co-editor (with Tim Keller) of Uncommon Ground (Thomas Nelson, 2020). He is the founder of The Carver Project and the Legal Vocation Fellowship, and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum, the Boniuk Institute, and Interfaith America, where he co-directs (with Eboo Patel) the Newbigin Fellows and Evangelicals in a Diverse Democracy. He writes a free, semi-regular Substack, Some Assembly Required.

Writing
Scholarly Papers

Scholarly Papers

Teaching

CRIMINAL LAW

The introductory first year course covers the basics of criminal law including theories of punishment and sentencing, elements of criminal offenses, defenses, and tools of statutory interpretation.

RELIGION AND THE CONSTITUTION

An introductory course to the theory, history, and doctrine of the religion clauses of the Constitution.  The law school course includes greater detail in the doctrine, particularly at the intersection of other First Amendment concerns.  The undergraduate course, co-taught with Mark Valeri, includes more attention to history and social context.

ADVANCED SEMINARS

Recent law student and undergraduate seminars include:

Speaking