ARE YOU AN EDGELORD CHRISTIAN?

Posted on Oct 13, 2025 in BLOG |

The word caught my eye. I was reading an interview between Russell Moore and Nicholas Carr in Christianity Today, when Moore used it. He wrote:

One of the things that I’ve noticed for some time now in evangelical Christianity is a group of young men who don’t seem to aspire to be preachers or pastors or even scholars in the way that previous generations would have aspired to those things. They want to be “edgelords” on the internet.[1]

What is an edgelord?

An edgelord is someone who makes wildly dark and exaggerated statements with the intent of shocking others.[2] It is most commonly used for internet posts, but it can also apply to anyone who uses provocative and inflammatory language to provoke a response. Coupled with this shock talk is a lack of empathy. Moore goes on to say that what we have seen is that empathy itself is viewed as sin, a fake virtue. An edginess has crept into evangelical Christianity that is not Christlike. Militancy is popular. Empathy is weak. Christians celebrate their exaggerated insults and dark conspiracy theories under the banner of standing up for Christ, even if others are hurt.

And it works! It generates the buzz we crave – the attention we seek.

BILL BOLIN

For ten years, Pastor Bill Bolin preached to a crowd of 100 at Floodgate Church in Brighton, Michigan. Then, in 2020, he introduced a weekly segment in the worship service that he called his “diatribe.” Each week, he would speak provocatively about dangerous vaccines, conspiracy theories, illegal immigration, and Ivermectin. He promoted a book warning about a war on Christianity that would take away our rights, and he vehemently claimed that the election had been stolen from Donald Trump. Bolin pontificated about the evils of Critical Race Theory, along with frequent insults to various “radical left” politicians.

What happened? Within 2 years, Floodgate Church mushroomed in attendance to over 1500 people. Their revenue increased sixfold, and people flocked from all over to visit the church, which eventually moved into a new building in Howell, Michigan. One reporter asked him if he would ever stop his shocking and inflammatory speeches. He replied that he couldn’t change now because the controversial topics had turned his church into a mega church.[3] Then he previewed for the reporter a riff he planned for Sunday about Apple adding a “pregnant man emoji” to the iPhone. Pastor Bill Bolin had become a full-fledged edgelord.

WHAT DOES THE APOSTLE PAUL SAY?

I have been reading and re-reading the pastoral epistles, looking for the New Testament values that Christians should possess to be considered for leadership in the church. Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus stress some vital topics such as the Word of God, doctrine, Christian character, and integrity. Yet one topic stands out as particularly relevant in our age of edgelords. Over and over again, Paul warns us not to get caught up in controversial conflicts with other believers or the world. We are to stay far away from provocative discussions because we care deeply about other people. We are to avoid, like the plague, becoming an edgelord.

An edgelord is:

Conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain (1 Tim. 6:4-5).

Paul warns us to avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and such talk will spread like gangrene (2 Tim. 2:16-17). There is an appetite for shock talk. It is popular, but it poisons the church and the testimony of Christ. We are to avoid foolish and ignorant controversies because they lead to quarrels, and we must not pick fights with people. We are to be kind to all, correcting with gentleness those who oppose us so that they might come to the knowledge of truth (2 Tim. 2:23-26).

Paul tells Titus to:

Avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned (Titus 3:9-11).

JOHN WHITCOMB

I think back to my seminary days, sitting in the classroom of John Whitcomb. Trained as a scientist before he became a highly respected theologian, Whitcomb spent many years debating professors on university campuses about creation and evolution. He told us that he easily won the debates, even to the point of humiliating the university professor in front of the students. But Whitcomb stopped. Why? He found that the students and professors were more hardened against Christianity after the debate than they were before. What good is it to win an intellectual argument but lose the spiritual war?

OWNING THE LEFT OR SHARING THE GOSPEL?

The souls of people are more important than any social or political battle we face. The gospel must not be polluted by shock talk. Suppose we win an argument over some deep state conspiracy or Critical Race Theory. What have we gained? Suppose we ‘own’ the ‘lunatic left’ with our insults. Will they be ready to listen to the good news of God’s grace from the lips of people who spout the bad news of insults and name-calling? No. Our harshness will only produce harshness in return (Prov. 15:1). Our insults will only harden their hearts. We must stay away from such fruitless discussion (1 Tim. 1:6). Christianity does not win through pugilistic prowess.

The Bible teaches a better way. Paul writes that we are to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men (Titus 3:2). We are to show respect not just for those who agree with us but for all humanity, especially those who oppose us. Ugly political and social fights reflect poorly on the truth of the gospel. Instead, we are to be Sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us (Titus 2:8).

Don’t be an edgelord Christian!

 

[1] Russell Moore and Nicholas Carr, “Guest Appearances,” Christianity Today, July/August, 2025, 23.

[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edgelord

[3] Tim Alberta, The Kingdom, The Power and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, 2023, 142-160.