What Does the Bible Mean When It Talks About the “Heart?”

If you have spent any amount of time in Christian circles, then you have heard mention of the importance of the “heart.” Of course this isn’t usually in reference to the actual organ in your chest (unless you go to church with a bunch of cardiovascular specialists). Instead it is usually used in reference to the innermost being of a person, or their soul.

In all honesty evangelical language can often be quite vague on the meaning of the “heart.” Of course the real question we should (always) be asking when it comes to issues of theology is what the biblical writers understood a term to mean. Thus, when we talk about the “heart” and its relation to Christian spirituality we should first look at what the word means in its biblical context. One of The Bible Project’s latest videos addresses exactly this topic. The video is short but it does a great job of looking at what the biblical writers understood “heart” to entail. Enjoy!