ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I first heard Tommy Nelson teach through the Song of Songs in 2002. I had been married only a couple of years, and I devoured those CDs like a thirsty man in the desert. I listened to most of them multiple times, and his teachings left an indelible mark on the way I understand this important book.

In the thirteen years since, I have studied the Song of Songs enough times to know that Tommy’s interpretation is in keeping with historical scholarly consensus. The Song of Songs charts the relationship between a woman and King Solomon from the initial attraction through the marital consummation to the place of keeping the flame of romance burning after familiarity has set in. I am still grateful for Tommy’s inspiring passion for the Song of Songs—without it, you probably wouldn’t be holding The Mingling of Souls in your hands.

Additionally, this book wouldn’t exist without the countless number of men and women at The Village Church who have sought my counsel and the wisdom found in the Scriptures on dating, courtship, marriage, and intimacy. I have returned again and again to Solomon’s Song on multiple occasions when counseling married couples who as they have grown older have sought to navigate the challenge of growing more deeply and more passionately in love.

Last but certainly not least, without the patience, grace, and godliness of my wife, Lauren, this book surely wouldn’t be in your hands. Her steadfastness through the first seven years of our marriage—which were extremely difficult—has, by God’s grace, given birth to the depth, beauty, and passion of the last eight years.