You have arrived at the home page of Francis J. Beckwith, a philosopher who publishes and teaches in the areas of religion, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics.

He is Professor of Philosophy and Church-State Studies, and Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Philosophy, at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.  

Praise for Latest Book
Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics & the Reasonableness of Faith (Cambridge University Press).
Winner of the American Academy of Religion’s 2016 Book Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in the category of Constructive-Reflective Studies

Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, & The Reasonableness of Faith (Cambridge University Press, 2015)

“In Taking Rites Seriously Francis Beckwith clears away many of the misunderstandings of religion that have marred discussions of faith and public life and corrupted the constitutional law of church and state. Of course, there are some academics and activists who are so deeply in the grip of secularist ideology that they have no desire to learn. Most Americans, however, whether they are believers or secularists, would like to be better informed about religion. For them, this book is a gift.” – Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University.

“Sophisticated, learned, and committed, Francis Beckwith argues coolly for a reasoned faith even as he smites the philistines hip and thigh on behalf of human dignity and life.” – Lenn E. Goodman, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities, Vanderbilt University

“Given the growing pressure on religious freedom, it is important for Christians to understand how the law works, both institutionally and culturally. These connected essays by Frank Beckwith are superb.” – Carl Trueman, Paul Woolley Professor in Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

“[W]ritten with admirable clarity, and amply demonstrating the compatibility—indeed the happy and mutually fulfilling companionship—of faith and reason, even and especially in matters of public life.”  – Matthew Franck, Director of the William E. and Carol G. Simon Center on Religion and the Constitution, The Witherspoon Institute. 

“Beckwith’s legal perspective and clarity make this short survey of the role of religious reasoning in American jurisprudence a valuable contribution to the defense of religion’s place in public life.” – Elliot Milco, First Things