Shifting Culture Ep. 367 Brian Recker - How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love
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Nov 25, 2025 Brian Recker, a former evangelical pastor and author of 'Hell Bent', discusses how fear-based theology has shaped Christian spirituality. He shares his journey from fundamentalism to a more inclusive faith centered on love and liberation. Recker delves into the damaging effects of seeing God through a lens of punishment, the historical context of Gehenna, and the need for justice work as a reflection of Jesus' teachings. He also emphasizes the importance of raising children without punishment, advocating for a spirituality marked by compassion and connection.
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Hell As A Systemic Control Mechanism
- Many white evangelical systems structurally require a punitive hell to enforce belonging and identity.
- That binary inside/outside model uses hell as a stick to create spiritual safety through exclusion.
Reimagining Grace As Belovedness
- If your default is that people deserve hell, grace is framed as 'less than hell' rather than unconditional belovedness.
- Reframing grace means believing humans inherently deserve love, not punishment.
Childhood Fear And Salvation Prayers
- Brian describes childhood spiritual life as repeated salvation prayers and constant doubt about assurance of salvation.
- Puberty intensified fear because natural sexual development felt like a threat to his salvation.
