The Laurence J. McGinley Chair in Religion and Society was established in 1985 to attract distinguished scholars interested in the interaction of religion with the legal, political and cultural forces in our pluralistic American society.

The chair, first held by Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., from 1988 until his death in December 2008, is named in honor of the Reverend Laurence J. McGinley, S.J., who attained distinction as a professor of theology before becoming the 28th president of Fordham University.