In a telephone interview, calling from an unlisted number and introducing himself as PreachersNSneakers, the man who created the account described himself as a 29-year-old graduate student living in Texas and working in technology. He said he is both a follower of sneaker culture and an observant Christian (who tithes to his church).

One day he was watching videos of Christian musicians performing on YouTube, he said, and noticed one of them was wearing a pair of Yeezy Boost 750s, which are priced in some online resell markets at around $700. He went into a rabbit hole, finding other prominent pastors and worship musicians in expensive sneakers, prompting him to start the account.

“Initially, I felt very justified in the stuff I was posting and seeing,” he said.

The controversy resulting from the Instagram posts started off like any other social media flame war. Yet the exchanges soon morphed into something far different: a nuanced and at times challenging conversation that was carried out in social media posts and discussed at length in podcasts. At a recent Christian hip-hop concert, performers were discussing it backstage.

Instead of digging in his heels, the account’s creator found his opinions shifting.

“This is a pretty slippery slope to be judging people’s hearts behind how they spend,” he said, recounting a conversation with a mentor who reached out to him. “You should really consider looking at yourself in the mirror and how you’re spending your money.”