Heart of Flesh is a semiannual, online and print literary journal that seeks quality writing and art with Christian themes. We are not a typical “Christian fiction” journal. We believe God’s truth as written in the Bible can be found in both the sacred and the secular, in nearly every work of literature and every part of the human condition.
That being said, we are a Christian journal, and we aim to spark honest and real conversations about Christ, faith, doubt, and other Biblical themes and people. Jesus is not boring. The Bible is not tame or timid. We want these topics to ignite a passion displayed in words and art from both Christians (of all denominations) and non-believers who are heavily influenced by Christianity.
The name Heart of Flesh comes from the book of Ezekiel, 36:26: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” In the Old Testament, this is a promise made to the ancient Israelites, but it also reflects the primary goal of Heart of Flesh: to allow the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of our readers. Our aim is to permeate the secular world with a profound need for Jesus Christ.
Click here for more information on what we believe.
Heart of Flesh will always be free online and in a downloadable PDF. We are a not-for-profit organization—we make $1 for every print issue we sell, which is put towards hosting costs. If you would like to support us, please consider purchasing a print issue or making a donation through PayPal (donations are not tax exempt). All purchases and donations contribute to our site costs, keep the site ad-free, and help our journal grow. Whether we cover expenses or not, 10% of all proceeds from print issues will be donated to Mission of Hope, a “residential Christian program focusing on men and women struggling with drug and alcohol dependency.” (Heart of Flesh is not affiliated with Mission of Hope or its ministries.)
We are a very small operation, founded in 2019. Our editor sometimes makes mistakes… Please have patience with her and with Heart of Flesh as she continues to learn and grow. Learn more about our editor and Heart of Flesh volunteers.
Thank you for your interest!
Veronica McDonald is the founder and editor of Heart of Flesh Literary Journal. She is the primary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry reader, and art editor. In other words, she’s the one reading your e-mails. Read more about our editor here.
Contact Veronica here or at heartoffleshlit@gmail.com.
Top image: “Eve and the Serpent” by Veronica McDonald (2016).
Bottom image: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” by Veronica McDonald (2020).
Heart of Flesh Literary Journal 