What do you think?
Rate this book
Jesus, Lover of My Soul: Fresh Pathways to Spiritual Passion
Do you long for a closer, deeper walk with God? Would you like to know more about what the Bible says about spiritual intimacy?
We say we know about God's love in our heads, but has it really percolated through to our hearts?
The Bible employs the metaphor of Christ, the Lover, and believers, his beloved. Yet this rich relationship potential is relatively unexplored in modern popular books, and we are the poorer for it.
Using Song of Songs and other Bible sources, the author explores the dynamics of our relationship. We come to understand more fully what it is for Christ to love us and for us to love him.
This portrayal of the living dynamics of a believer's relationship with Christ cannot fail to transform our devotional life profoundly.
We say we know about God's love in our heads, but has it really percolated through to our hearts?
The Bible employs the metaphor of Christ, the Lover, and believers, his beloved. Yet this rich relationship potential is relatively unexplored in modern popular books, and we are the poorer for it.
Using Song of Songs and other Bible sources, the author explores the dynamics of our relationship. We come to understand more fully what it is for Christ to love us and for us to love him.
This portrayal of the living dynamics of a believer's relationship with Christ cannot fail to transform our devotional life profoundly.
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2020
29 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Julian Hardyman
8 books6 followersJulian Hardyman is Senior Pastor of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge. His enthusiasms include walking in the Cambridgeshire Fens, listening to opera and eating strong cheese. In his daydreams he beats his contemporaries at squash, serves as a local councillor and services his own car. But these are only dreams. He is married to Debbie and they have three children; Robin, Fiona and Kitty.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 2, 2021
Simply wonderful!
Not only is Julian a guide to unlocking Song of Songs (although it is not a commentary), he is a shepherd who brings us to streams of living water to have our cup overflow.
This is a perfect introduction and inspiration to pursue true communion with Christ.
Not only is Julian a guide to unlocking Song of Songs (although it is not a commentary), he is a shepherd who brings us to streams of living water to have our cup overflow.
This is a perfect introduction and inspiration to pursue true communion with Christ.
August 29, 2025
There’s are books that are very good and then there are books that change you and your outlook. This is one of the latter. Focussed on Christ’s heart for you. It’s heart warmingly excellent.
February 3, 2025
First Reading
MUST READ! That's it, that's the review!
Second Reading
I first read this with close friends, all needing this message.
I've just finished it again, and the impact of Christ loving my soul is still as beautiful as it was then! Give this one a go!
MUST READ! That's it, that's the review!
Second Reading
I first read this with close friends, all needing this message.
I've just finished it again, and the impact of Christ loving my soul is still as beautiful as it was then! Give this one a go!
November 24, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable devotional read. Julian Hardyman walks the reader through Song of Songs, not only making a persuasive case that it is ultimately about the desire of Christ for the church - but also that it can rightly be applied as his affection not only for the church as a whole but also to individual believers. I have been refreshed by this angle on God's grace, and also challenged to think about the implications for my own marriage and sexuality. Highly recommend.
January 8, 2025
I didn’t expect to be reading a book on the Song of Songs when I borrowed this solely based on the title but wow! I’m so glad it was! The author writes from the perspective that Song of Songs is a metaphorical picture of God and His loving relationship with His people (men AND women!). Such a helpful book with questions and prayers each chapter. Song of Songs is book of desire, fulfilled and unfulfilled and I loved how the author pointed us to Christ in that over and over again. The author is a pastor and I think this was mainly a collection/reworking of sermons. It’s not the most perfectist writing or prose but SO much scripture. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Also, I am a sucker for a book with lots of references so that was also great. I think I will be buying a copy to be able to share with others.
January 29, 2025
I was glad to finally get a copy of this book. Song of Songs is one of the lesser-known books of the Bible, but Hardyman walks us through it along with all the emotions, fears and delight it speaks about.
This is a very pastoral book and I really appreciated the question and prayer at the end of each chapter. I am more convinced of Christ’s love for me and see it in a new, fuller and more beautiful way after reading this book. Definitely would recommend.
This is a very pastoral book and I really appreciated the question and prayer at the end of each chapter. I am more convinced of Christ’s love for me and see it in a new, fuller and more beautiful way after reading this book. Definitely would recommend.
May 25, 2021
So good to have a book like this on a subject like this 🙌
January 27, 2021
This was such a refreshing read. What a joy, real food for the soul and such a challenge to dwell more richly in the beauty of Christ.
June 4, 2025
“We have to harness that sense of longing, harness that sense of absence, to drive us on to open ourselves up to more of him, to receive what he wants to give us in any particular moment or phase of our lives. This, in turn, will push us outside ourselves in the fierce love of service to God and to others in this life until we meet him in the perfect intimacy of the next life.”
June 4, 2025
Read slowly and sweetly and it felt just right! This book taught my soul that Jesus truly does love me and is for me!
April 23, 2023
Julian Hardyman’s “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” is a throw back commentary on the Song of Songs. And by throw back, I mean a call to an era a millennia ago.
Hardyman is convinced that the primary purpose of the Song of Songs is to demonstrate God’s profound love for his people. Hardyman is not arguing this is the only purpose of the book. He agrees that the first purpose is to celebrate the love of a man and a woman. But the deeper purpose is a celebration of God’s love. Hardyman says, “The Song of Songs is doing the same thing as the rest of Scripture. It is a beautiful picture of human love, but it constantly points us beyond human intimacy to Jesus as the Lover of our souls.”
This thesis flies in the face of much modern interpretation of the Song of Songs, which has an aversion to allegorical interpretation.
Consider this reader convinced.
Hardyman’s book invites us to consider the intense love God has for us in ways that many of us modern readers (myself included) are uncomfortable with. It was a gift to be led into the love of Christ.
I’m returning to this review six months later and bumping it up to five stars. Hardyman’s book continues to haunt me and challenge my shrunken conception of Christ’s love.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“There is a beauty in the face of Christ which our renewed hearts long for. We want ‘to gaze on the beauty of the Lord’ (Psalm 27:4).”
“Seeking the face of Christ is entirely biblical, but the extraordinary thing is that this is about Jesus’ longing to see my face.”
“He wants us! And, surely, we want to please him, to delight him, to satisfy him, don’t we? Of course we do. When we think of it, we want nothing more! The difficulty is believing that he wants us.”
“For most of us, let’s be honest, it feels strange to address Jesus as a romantic partner – a lover, fiancé, bridegroom, even a husband.”
“So, for this Song to call itself ‘Song of Songs’ is a very big claim. The text itself is claiming to be the greatest song ever written, including all the songs in the Bible. But if it is merely about human love and intimacy, that means it is claiming that those are greater than the divine love praised in Psalm 111 and elsewhere.”
‘The grace of God does not find but creates that which is pleasing to it.’
“The desire of the Divine Lover is also directed toward us. This is the good news: however eagerly sin lurks to catch us, God seeks us even more ardently. To the extent that we can receive and respond to God’s burning desire for us, we shall indeed achieve mastery over sin.”
“Too many of us have the telescope of faith turned the wrong way round, and Christ looks further away. Too many of us are so fixated on this life, particularly on what’s not going well for us, with life’s disappointments.
“For God, worshipping idols is like a woman calling out another man’s name when he tries to make love to her.”
“God loves you with the living flame of love, and he’s always moving towards you so that it can burn more in your soul and replicate the same love within you. It is the flame of divine love that will take us through death to the other side, into the new creation.”
For more reviews see thebeehive.live.
Hardyman is convinced that the primary purpose of the Song of Songs is to demonstrate God’s profound love for his people. Hardyman is not arguing this is the only purpose of the book. He agrees that the first purpose is to celebrate the love of a man and a woman. But the deeper purpose is a celebration of God’s love. Hardyman says, “The Song of Songs is doing the same thing as the rest of Scripture. It is a beautiful picture of human love, but it constantly points us beyond human intimacy to Jesus as the Lover of our souls.”
This thesis flies in the face of much modern interpretation of the Song of Songs, which has an aversion to allegorical interpretation.
Consider this reader convinced.
Hardyman’s book invites us to consider the intense love God has for us in ways that many of us modern readers (myself included) are uncomfortable with. It was a gift to be led into the love of Christ.
I’m returning to this review six months later and bumping it up to five stars. Hardyman’s book continues to haunt me and challenge my shrunken conception of Christ’s love.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“There is a beauty in the face of Christ which our renewed hearts long for. We want ‘to gaze on the beauty of the Lord’ (Psalm 27:4).”
“Seeking the face of Christ is entirely biblical, but the extraordinary thing is that this is about Jesus’ longing to see my face.”
“He wants us! And, surely, we want to please him, to delight him, to satisfy him, don’t we? Of course we do. When we think of it, we want nothing more! The difficulty is believing that he wants us.”
“For most of us, let’s be honest, it feels strange to address Jesus as a romantic partner – a lover, fiancé, bridegroom, even a husband.”
“So, for this Song to call itself ‘Song of Songs’ is a very big claim. The text itself is claiming to be the greatest song ever written, including all the songs in the Bible. But if it is merely about human love and intimacy, that means it is claiming that those are greater than the divine love praised in Psalm 111 and elsewhere.”
‘The grace of God does not find but creates that which is pleasing to it.’
“The desire of the Divine Lover is also directed toward us. This is the good news: however eagerly sin lurks to catch us, God seeks us even more ardently. To the extent that we can receive and respond to God’s burning desire for us, we shall indeed achieve mastery over sin.”
“Too many of us have the telescope of faith turned the wrong way round, and Christ looks further away. Too many of us are so fixated on this life, particularly on what’s not going well for us, with life’s disappointments.
“For God, worshipping idols is like a woman calling out another man’s name when he tries to make love to her.”
“God loves you with the living flame of love, and he’s always moving towards you so that it can burn more in your soul and replicate the same love within you. It is the flame of divine love that will take us through death to the other side, into the new creation.”
For more reviews see thebeehive.live.
October 11, 2022
I only gave this book 3 stars because there were some good points in this book. I felt like it was very hard to follow because of the lack of organization. It felt like it jumped around way too much and I lost interest after the first few chapters.
July 31, 2021
A beautiful and gentle book that opened up the song of songs to show me how Jesus REALLY IS the lover of my soul. Very encouraging.
July 18, 2024
6*
A thoroughly encouraging and heart warming book.
Get it and read it.
A thoroughly encouraging and heart warming book.
Get it and read it.
March 15, 2021
This was good for my heart!
November 23, 2021
Very heart warming!
July 23, 2023
This is a challenging book about intimacy with Christ. We are married to Christ not just corporately but individually.
The author uses the song of song to show this applies the romantic imagery to our personal and individual relationship to Christ.
Christ is our romantic lover who longs to go into our garden and be spiritually intimate with us. Human sexual intercourse points to the spiritual pleasure of knowing Christ, the father and spirit.
It is challenging because I view sex as still a dirty thing and this is why I struggled.
Great book and I pray I can see Jesus more as the lover of my soul
The author uses the song of song to show this applies the romantic imagery to our personal and individual relationship to Christ.
Christ is our romantic lover who longs to go into our garden and be spiritually intimate with us. Human sexual intercourse points to the spiritual pleasure of knowing Christ, the father and spirit.
It is challenging because I view sex as still a dirty thing and this is why I struggled.
Great book and I pray I can see Jesus more as the lover of my soul
September 27, 2021
You know the phrase "sex is good but have you ever..."? That's the message of this book with the resounding end to that sentence being "have you ever met Jesus?"!
Going through the Song of Songs, Julian Hardyman explores romantic, marital, and human love in all its goods and evils. He shows how even the very best of human love points to the greatest love, found in Jesus - who truly does find beautiful those who trust in him.
This is another game changer if you want to know the spiritual life.
"Human love is incomplete and impermanent, but Jesus is ours for ever."
Going through the Song of Songs, Julian Hardyman explores romantic, marital, and human love in all its goods and evils. He shows how even the very best of human love points to the greatest love, found in Jesus - who truly does find beautiful those who trust in him.
This is another game changer if you want to know the spiritual life.
"Human love is incomplete and impermanent, but Jesus is ours for ever."
December 20, 2022
A great summer devotional read, with many valuable insights on how precious it is to be loved by Christ and to be in relationship with him. However, for my money, the chapter on hermeneutics didn’t carry the book as it probably needed to do, given that all these rich insights came from Song of Songs. Most people won’t be bothered by that, and that’s not to say there’s much to feed on, but I I was left wanting a bit more.
January 8, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. As someone who tends towards the pragmatic and academic in my faith, it wasn't an easy read, but pushed me to engage my emotions, heart, and soul with Jesus' eternal and all-surpassing love for me.
My only critique, as someone who doesn't know Song of Songs very well, is that I struggled to stay in the text, and see the patterns that were being pulled out for myself. I possibly need to go back and reread the Song and then some of the chapters alongside it.
My only critique, as someone who doesn't know Song of Songs very well, is that I struggled to stay in the text, and see the patterns that were being pulled out for myself. I possibly need to go back and reread the Song and then some of the chapters alongside it.
December 14, 2021
The best Christian book I read in 2021
I loved this book. Better still I love Jesus more after reading it. Better yet I know Jesus loves me more than before I read it. Food, medicine, and grace to the weary. Take up and read right now.
I loved this book. Better still I love Jesus more after reading it. Better yet I know Jesus loves me more than before I read it. Food, medicine, and grace to the weary. Take up and read right now.
June 8, 2023
A wonderful book, encouraging an ongoing activity of growing in spiritual intimacy with Christ.
(This is an accessible and easy read - using the biblical image of marriage to Christ to jump from the Song of Songs depiction of human marriage to our devotional life)
(This is an accessible and easy read - using the biblical image of marriage to Christ to jump from the Song of Songs depiction of human marriage to our devotional life)
January 4, 2024
I freely grant that the spiritual applications and implications of the Song of Songs is a fraught and challenging subject. This book, though, provided no deep insights into the subject, not even seriously attempting to unpack the “mystery” Paul alludes to. Its analysis was shallow. Disappointing.
October 2, 2020
Possible book of the year for me.
December 4, 2020
What a refreshing book, taking the reader into Jesus' love for His church and for each individual believer. This did my heart a lot of good.
December 27, 2020
An encouraging and refreshing read for the end of 2020. I included it in my devotional time and found it deeply enriched my times of Bible reading and prayer.
August 17, 2021
A very good tour around the Song of Songs. I was grateful to be able to read as part of my morning devotions.
January 29, 2022
Very inspiring book. Well worth reading!
Read
January 12, 2023Loved reading this book to show me more of how Jesus loves me. He is always drawing us nearer to be His Bride. Wonderful introduction into the Song of Songs.
September 28, 2023
It really does refresh.
Short chapters but it goes deep.
Short chapters but it goes deep.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews