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A Sudden and Shocking Loss
On April 11, 2023, the Catholic world lost one of its most prolific and versatile authors, Dr. Kevin Vost. He died at the age of 62 in Springfield, Illinois, where he was born and raised. The cause of his death was not disclosed, but it came as a complete shock and a devastating loss to his family, friends, fans, and colleagues. He had no known health issues and was in excellent physical and mental shape, thanks to his lifelong passion for fitness and philosophy.
A Man of Many Talents and Interests
Kevin Vost was a man who defied easy labels and categories. He was a husband, father, grandfather, psychologist, philosopher, professor, evangelist, convert, author, weightlifter, Mensa member, Highland Games competitor, and more. He had a remarkable output of more than 20 books on various topics related to faith and life, combining his knowledge of classical Greco-Roman and medieval scholastic philosophy with modern cognitive psychology and strength training.
Some of his most popular books include Fit for Eternal Life, Memorize the Faith, The One-Minute Aquinas, The Seven Deadly Sins: A Thomistic Guide to Vanquishing Vice and Sin, Hounds of the Lord: Great Dominican Saints Every Catholic Should Know, The Catholic Guide to Loneliness: How Science and Faith Can Help Us Understand It, Grow from It, and Conquer It, The Four Friendships: From Aristotle to Aquinas on Human Friendship as a Key to Happiness, and The Catholic Guide to Depression: How the Saints, the Sacraments, and Psychiatry Can Help You Break Its Grip and Find Happiness Again.
He also appeared in several media outlets and platforms, such as Catholic Answers Live, EWTN’s The Journey Home and Women of Grace, Relevant Radio’s Morning Air with John Harper, Ave Maria Radio’s Kresta in the Afternoon with Al Kresta, CatholicTV’s This Is the Day with Bishop Robert Reed and Jay Fadden, Don Johnson’s documentary Convinced, and many others. He was always generous with his time and expertise, sharing his insights and wisdom with humor and humility.
A Convert from Atheism to Catholicism
Kevin Vost was not always a Catholic. He grew up in a Protestant family but became an atheist in his teenage years after reading philosophy. He remained an atheist for more than two decades until he encountered the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas in his 40s. He realized that faith and reason were not contradictory but complementary and that the Catholic Church had the fullness of truth. He converted to Catholicism in 2005 and never looked back.
He wrote about his conversion story in several books and articles, such as From Atheism to Catholicism: How Scientists and Philosophers Led Me to the Truth (co-authored with Jennifer Fulwiler), How God Hauled Me Kicking and Screaming into the Catholic Church (co-authored with Kevin Lowry), “
