And Also With You Are we all Hell Bent? With Brian Recker
Oct 27, 2025
Brian Recker, a former evangelical pastor and author of "Hellbent," unpacks the destructive nature of hell theology in Christianity. He shares his journey from fundamentalism to a restorative, love-centered spirituality. The discussion explores how fear of hell controls church culture and complicates faith. Brian argues for justice without punishment and invites listeners to envision a faith motivated by love rather than fear. He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging real-world hells and the transformative power of letting go of certainty in favor of love.
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Raised In Fundamentalism
- Brian Recker grew up as the son of a fundamental Baptist pastor and attended Bob Jones University before moving into mainstream evangelicalism.
- His firsthand deconstruction began there and culminated in leaving pastoral ministry in 2020 to speak more freely on issues like LGBTQ inclusion.
Hell As Motivating Foundation
- Hell often functions as the foundational motivator in evangelical spirituality, making faith primarily about avoiding punishment rather than pursuing love.
- That foundation skews church priorities toward counting conversions and maintaining an us-vs-them mindset.
Telling A Pastor About Doubt
- Brian told his lead pastor he no longer believed that unbelievers would suffer forever, describing his interim move to annihilationism.
- That conversation revealed evangelicalism's need for an 'us' and a punitive consequence to justify mission strategies.