W&L’s Jeff Kosky Publishes New Book The professor of religion explores the meaning of having a heart.

By Lily Caldwell
April 3, 2025

Jeff Kosky, professor of religion at Washington and Lee University, recently published a book through Columbia University Press, “From the Heart,” that adopts a philosophical and medical perspective to explore what it feels like to have a heart. His reflections are guided by an awareness that the vital organ can and will fail. Weaving together research and personal narratives, Kosky shares his own story with heart failure, including his recovery. To understand his experience, the book investigates the human heart through scientific knowledge and medical history, as well as through the works of artists, writers, philosophers and theologians. In it, Kosky reflects on the “big questions” of existence, sharing his hard-earned perspectives on what matters most.

“This is a book I needed to write,” said Kosky. “I began writing the month before a hastily scheduled surgery to repair a congenital defect in my aortic valve. It would be nice to think that the story ended with the success of the surgery, but the return to daily life wasn’t easy. The new valves don’t last forever. I now live with the reality that my heart has an expiration date. It can be difficult to share in the concern for everyday tasks and projects when my to-do list has ‘don’t die’ on it. My loves all seem very fragile. Cardiac surgery repaired my heart, but I still had to find the heart to get on with things. ‘From the Heart’ is my struggle to do that. In the course of writing it, I came to believe strongly that we should listen carefully to those who find themselves at a loss, ill or diseased, weak or vulnerable, impoverished or un-abled. I published it, thanks to Columbia University Press, in the hopes of reaching those who are looking for signs that we still have a heart.”

The book was recently excerpted in Literary Hub, a prominent source for literary news, culture and ideas dedicated to showcasing engaging pieces of writing about contemporary literary life.

Kosky has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2003. He previously worked at Redmoon Theater, a visual spectacle production company, in Chicago. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from William College and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School.

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