Is the idea of ‘soulmates’ biblical?

Drawing on culture, psychology, and scripture, Rebecca Hunter Kelm challenges romantic myths, pointing us toward a more biblical vision of love, commitment, and marriage.

I’m loving the catchy tune of pop star Raye’s song: ‘Where the hell is my husband?!’ these days. It sounds like Raye thinks there is just one man out there for her, and he needs to find her fast! So, where did this belief in ‘just one person for everyone’ come from, and should we ascribe to it as Christian women?

From the beginning of the world, humans have liked to believe that love isn’t random. In the 4th century, Plato’s Symposium recounts an ancient myth in which Zeus splits humans with four arms, four legs, and two faces in half because they are too powerful for the other gods. They then go on to search for their ‘other half’ for all eternity, because when they reunite, they feel a deep sense of completion, because love is finding the other person you were always meant to be with.