The Orchard School is pleased to welcome Professor John Inazu to its 2025-2026 Dignity Center Presents Speaker Series on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 7:00 PM.
Professor Inazu is the Sally Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. He is the author of several books, including his most recent, “Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect” (2024). His other works include “Confident Pluralism” (2016) and "Uncommon Ground” (2020).
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Professor Inazu’s work and writing focus on navigating our differences with dignity, respect, and empathy. He invites us not to give up on our deeply held beliefs. Rather, he helps us explore and discover ways we can disagree productively, building bridges and healing our divides. “We’re not very good at disagreement,” says John. Too often, “we view our adversaries not only as wrong but increasingly as evil, we resist notions of forgiveness, and we distrust any effort at mediating our differences.”
I hope you’ll join us for an engaging fireside chat with Professor Inazu, as we explore many compelling and perplexing questions together, including: How do we foster empathy for those with whom we disagree? What happens when we can’t compromise? How can we recognize good-faith disagreements without compromising our most strongly held beliefs? How can we truly live with each other, not merely alongside one another, and foster dignity in a world of complex diversities and differing opinions?
Professor Inazu’s work helps us capture the spirit of Orchard’s Dignity Center, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Funding from The National Bank of Indianapolis supports Orchard’s “The Dignity Center Presents…” speaker series that focuses on engaging our community in thought and dialogue related to topics of identity, dignity, social responsibility, and community connection.
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