Boycott Hell: Rejecting Fear and Choosing Love (with Brian Recker)

Josh Harris sits down with author Brian Recker to talk honestly about hell, deconstruction, and what remains when fear-based religion falls apart.

Together, they explore the grief of losing religious community, the courage it takes to rethink deeply held beliefs, and why so many people feel spiritually homeless after walking away from traditional evangelical structures.

Brian and Josh unpack how the doctrine of hell has shaped Christian mission, identity, and urgency, often at the expense of love, justice, and inclusion. They revisit Jesus’ teachings on Gehenna, the “narrow gate,” and the cross, placing them back in their historical context and asking what they actually reveal about God, power, and resistance.

About Brian Recker

Brian Recker is a former Marine officer, the son of a Baptist preacher, and a graduate of Bob Jones University. He spent eight years as an evangelical pastor before undergoing a profound deconstruction of his faith and moving toward a more inclusive, love-centered spirituality.

Today, Brian speaks openly about following Jesus without fear of hell through his writing and social platforms, including his Substack, Beloved. His book, Hell Bent, challenges one of Christianity’s most deeply embedded doctrines and argues that fear has distorted the heart of the gospel. Released on September 30, Hell Bent quickly became a USA Today best-seller.

Brian lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is a father of four.

Connect with Brian

• Substack – Beloved: https://brianrecker.substack.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berecker/?hl=en

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@berecker87
• His book "Hell Bent": ⁠https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/771172/hell-bent-by-brian-recker/