Baylor University, a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, provides a vibrant campus community for more than 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship.

Baylor University 

New Row

Contact expert @[Full Name](fullname), @[Job Title](job_title) at @[Organization](organization) for media, speaking, professional opportunities and more.

@[Full Name](fullname) at @[Organization](organization) | Contact Form

Expert Inquiry

Open Sans

What’s So Special About Religious Liberty? Law, Philosophy, and Serving God

Violinists, Burglars, People-Seeds, Samaritans, and Reluctant Bone Marrow Donors: Why Do We Need Analogies to Pregnancy in Order to Understand It?

Separated at Baptism: What the Mortara Case Can Teach Us About the Rejection of Natural Justice by Integralists and Progressives

Why Is Sexual Assault Special?: Transactional Sex and Sacred Intuitions

CHURCH, STATE, AND THE ABUSE CRISIS: The Role of Assumed Ideas of “Reasonableness” in Religious Liberty

Moral Status and the Architects of Principlism

Gotta Serve Somebody? Religious Liberty, Freedom of Conscience, and Religion as Comprehensive Doctrine

In this episode, we connect with Francis J. Beckwith, a Professor of Philosophy and Church-State Studies at Baylor University, where he also serves as Associate Director of Graduate Studies in Philosophy and Affiliate Professor of Political Science. Francis is a philosopher who publishes and teaches in the areas of religion, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics.  Francis has authored more than 100 academic articles, book chapters, reference entries, and reviews. With titles such as Politics for Christians: Statecraft as Soulcraft, Never Doubt Thomas: The Catholic Aquinas as Evangelical and Protestant, and Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice, Francis is a highly regarded voice in the academic community.  So, what makes Francis’s philosophical perspective so special? Tune in now to find out…  Join in now to explore:  What initially interested Francis about philosophy.  How we build up beliefs to shape our worldview.  The importance of listening to people that you disagree with.  The intricacies of co-existing religions.  Want to learn more about Francis J. Beckwith and his work? Click here now! Take advantage of a 5% discount on Ekster accessories by using the code FINDINGGENIUS. Enhance your style and functionality with premium accessories. Visit bit.ly/3uiVX9R to explore latest collection. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9

Unpacking Philosophy & Religion

Unpacking Philosophy &amp; Religion | How To Seek The Truth &amp; Cultivate Faith

Taking rites seriously with Francis Beckwith

Politics for Christians: Statecraft as Soulcraft (Christian Worldview Integration Series)

Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith

Never Doubt Thomas: The Catholic Aquinas as Evangelical and Protestant

Return to Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic

Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice

Francis J. Beckwith, Ph.D., is Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies at Baylor University, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Philosophy and Co-Director of the Program on Philosophical Studies of Religion in Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR). He teaches courses in medical humanities, political science, religion, and church-state studies.

A graduate of Fordham University (Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy), he also holds the Master of Juridical Studies (M.J.S.) degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where he won a CALI Award for Academic Excellence in Reproductive Control Seminar. In 2025, he was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve on an advisory board of legal experts for the Religious Liberty Commission.

His books include Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith (Cambridge University Press, 2015 ); (w/R. Sherlock) The Catholic Invitation to Latter-Day Saints (Ignatius Press,  forthcoming);  (w/ R. P. George, S. McWilliams) A Second Look at First Things: A Case for Conservative Politics (St. Augustine Press, 2013); Politics for Christians: Statecraft as Soulcraft (InterVarsity Press, 2010); Return to Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic (Brazos Press, 2009), among many others.

Professor Beckwith has been quoted in a variety of publications including the New York Times, the Dallas Morning-News, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Christianity Today, World Magazine, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Las Vegas Sun, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Los Angeles Times, the Waco Tribune-Herald, the Washington Times, Touchstone Magazine, the National Catholic Register, Commonweal, Moody Magazine, Christian Research Journal, the Baptist Standard and the Salt Lake Tribune.

Philosophy and Theology

Religious and Political Ethics

Church and State

Francis J. Beckwith (website)

President Donald Trump Names Advisory Board Members to the Religious Liberty Commission

On Religion: Why Battles Over Parental Rights Are Not Going Away

Unpacking Philosophy & Religion / How to Seek The Truth & Cultivate Faith

U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments about religious rights of Texas death row inmates

U.S. Supreme Court weighs religion’s place in the Texas death chamber

Bob Dylan turns 80, while Dylanologists keep arguing about signs of faith in his art

Francis Beckwith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and church-state studies, Baylor University

Francis Beckwith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and church-state studies, Baylor University, meets with Pope Francis

Podcast interviews with genius-level (top .1%) practitioners, scientists, researchers, clinicians and professionals in Cancer, 3D Bio Printing, CRISPR-CAS9, Ketogenic Diets, the Microbiome, Extracellular Vesicles, and more.

Subscribe today for the latest medical, health and bioscience insights from geniuses in their field(s).

Finding Genius Podcast

Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies, Affiliate Professor of Political Science

Select Inquiry Type