Progressive Christians on TikTok: Content Creators Youth Need to Know

GUEST WRITER: BROOKE FOSTER

Search #ProgressiveChristian on TikTok. What comes up? 

When I look for progressive Christian content creators on TikTok, I am bombarded with videos of people “disproving” progressive Christianity, repeating hateful, harmful, and oftentimes homophobic theology, or discussing “biblical womanhood.” It takes some scrolling to find videos that reflect the welcoming, inclusive, and affirming theology I strive to live by. 

So, what does this mean for the teenagers in our lives?

Chronically Online Teens: An Opportunity

In a 2024 Pew Research Center study on Teens, Social Media, and Technology, half of the teenagers surveyed reported being online almost constantly. Nearly all of them are online daily, with 60% using the short-form video app TikTok at the same rate.

Even if the teenagers in your care attended every youth group event, worship service, or Bible study (which, let’s face it, they don’t!), they’re probably still spending more time with their favorite content creators online. 

Shepherding young people in emotionally healthy faith formation shouldn’t be limited to Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. As youth workers, we can assume that at least some of the teenagers in our care use TikTok. But how many of us know what kind of content they’re actually consuming? 

What Christian Teens Actually Watch on TikTok

TikTok’s algorithm curates personalized content for its users informed by their comments, follows, and engagement times. Which means, watching one video on #ChristianMasculinity and TikTok may send you down a far-right rabbit hole. 

Many young people use TikTok as their primary search engine, asking big questions and receiving answers tailored to them by the algorithm. 

And Conservative Christian organizations like Turning Point USA have taken notice. In 2019, they launched a program intended to “impact culture through social media.” Famous influencers like Sadie Robertson Huff, Braedon Sorbo, and the couple Jackie Hill and Preston Perry act as hip, relatable mouthpieces for harmful conservative theologies like Christian nationalism. 

We can’t (and shouldn’t) keep teens from exploring different perspectives, but the algorithm certainly can. 

Progressive Christian TikTok Creators Worth Following

So, who are the progressive Christian content creators we can point our young people toward? 

To help diversify their FYPs (“For You Pages”), you can point youth toward theologically grounded, progressive Christian content creators and organizations, like these!

The Bible For Normal People (@theb4np on TikTok): a podcast committed to making the Bible accessible for everyone by engaging in theological study from a place of curiosity and playfulness.

Rev. Joseph Yoo (@joseph.yoo on TikTok): a Korean Episcopal priest and writer based in Texas, who regularly posts about living his faith.

Vicar Alysa Offman (@alysazavalaoffman on TikTok): an ELCA seminarian and vicar who shares affirming theological perspectives on current events and issues.

Illustrated Ministry (@illustratedmin on TikTok): IM’s very own TikTok channel full of bite-sized Bible stories and practices for faith formation.

Helping Teens Curate a Healthy Digital Faith Space

Instead of offering prescriptive, rule-based interpretations of Christian living, these progressive content creators hold space for asking big questions about God. By replacing #BiblicalWomanhood with #FaithAndFeminism or #FaithOverFear with #LoveAlwaysWins and #YourFriendlyNeighborhoodPriest, progressive Christian content creators build bridges between the church and the world.

Brooke Foster

Brooke is passionate about creating welcoming spaces of community for people of all ages. She lives in Princeton, NJ, where she serves as Youth Director at Princeton UMC and as a program coordinator for the Polaris Young Adult Leadership Network at her alma mater, Princeton Seminary.