How Sweet the Sound? - "Reckless Love"

Episode 8: Reckless Love with hosts the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp and Siobhan Boyd-Nelson"Reckless Love" became a worship phenomenon—but when divine pursuit is painted in violent, relentless terms, what messages are young women in evangelical churches absorbing about love?Ben and Siobhan dive deep into Cory Asbury's "Reckless Love," exploring both the songwriter's complicated journey through the Christian music industry and the troubling implications of the song's imagery. Connected to Bethel Worship, this hit emerged from Asbury's rocky relationship with contemporary Christian music—but its depiction of God's love as overwhelming, chasing, and relentless raises critical questions. We examine how framing love in violent, pursuit-based terms might shape young people's understanding of healthy relationships, with particular concern for how young women versus young men in evangelical contexts might internalize these messages about what love should look like.In this episode:Cory Asbury's background and struggles with the Christian music industryThe Bethel Worship connection and the song's rise to popularityHow the song portrays divine love through imagery of pursuit and overwhelmThe gendered implications: what young women vs. young men might learn about loveCritiquing violent metaphors for love in worship music and evangelical cultureRuntime: ~85 minutes