Mikki Brock to Headline Fourth Beyond the Page Event The professor of history will discuss her book, “Plagues of the Heart.”

By Lily Caldwell
February 17, 2026

Mikki Brock, professor of history at Washington and Lee University, will discuss her book, “Plagues of the Heart: Crisis and covenanting in a seventeenth-century Scottish town,” as part of the Beyond the Page: Milestone Works by Faculty series at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, in the Lemon Room located in Tucker Hall.

The series, open exclusively to the university community, celebrates significant scholarly and creative achievements by faculty members across disciplines. Brock will be introduced by Genelle Gertz, associate dean of strategic initiatives and the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English, and then will discuss her book.

Brock’s lecture will be followed by a reception and book exhibit organized by the W&L University Store, with details for how to access a copy.

“This speaker series is important because it serves as a reminder that W&L faculty are not just committed teachers but also active scholars,” said Brock. “We spend many of our evenings, weekends and summers researching and writing because we are passionate about our areas of expertise and because this work ensures we bring new and exciting ideas into our classes.”

Published by Manchester University Press, Brock’s book explores religious life and protestant identity in the Scottish town of Ayr during the 17th century. The book examines how Scottish communities navigated spiritual and political commitments during a period of profound upheaval, polarization and anxiety. Brock argues that under the stewardship of a generation of radical clergy, Scotland developed a distinct and durable “culture of covenanting.”

“The guiding contention of this book is that early modern Scottish piety extended beyond the rituals of sermon-going, covenant-swearing, discipline and prayer,” said Brock. “Instead, it was fashioned through individual and collective responses to extraordinary challenges such as pestilence and conquest, alongside more predictable problems like sin and encounters with strangers.”

“Plagues of the Heart” was also recently named to the shortlist for Scotland’s research book of the year.

Brock, who also serves as a core faculty member in W&L’s Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program and as an affiliate faculty member in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, has taught at W&L since 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in humanities and western civilization from the University of Kansas as well as a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas at Austin.