Counterflow with Buck Johnson

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend and one of my favorite authors, Dr. Clark Carlton, for a conversation about Protestantism, Orthodoxy, and what happens when Christianity becomes less a lived, sacramental faith and more an ideology derived from a text.

Clark takes us through the history of American Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism, including the Southern Baptist "Conservative Resurgence," and asks an important question: why do conservative Protestant movements seem to win battles while the larger drift continues?

His answer goes much deeper than politics, wokeness, or simply blaming theological liberals.

We get...

My guest this week is Carollynn Xavier—Orthodox  catechumen , longtime touring comedian, and now host of a brand-new interview show coming to Logos Cinema.

We get into Carollynn's years doing stand-up and touring, what life as a comedian actually looks like, how Orthodoxy fits into all of it, and why she's now trading some of that stand-up time for sitting down with interesting people.

Her new show is pretty simple: no script, no formula, no manufactured outrage. Just genuine curiosity about people and seeing where the conversation goes. Sometimes it gets deep, sometimes it gets wei...

Fr. Zechariah Lynch joins me to talk about something a lot of people would rather forget: what the COVID years actually did to us.
We get into fear, mandates, "misinformation," the pressure to conform, and the damage done to people who simply asked questions. Fr. Zechariah also gets personal about what he and his family went through within the Church during that time and why he describes some of it as psychological abuse.

We also talk about repentance, forgiveness, and how we move forward without pretending none of it happened.

Read Fr. Zechariah's article...

In this episode of Counterflow, I'm joined by Neil DeGraide, musician, songwriter, and founding member of Dirt Poor Robins.

Neil spent years in the Evangelical world leading worship and creating Christian music before beginning a journey that ultimately led him to the Orthodox Church. We talk about what changed, the assumptions he had to unlearn, and why he came to believe the search for the true Church is about much more than denominations.

We also dive into Christianities, the upcoming documentary Neil is helping produce alongside Fr. Peter Heers and John Heers. The film explores...

For decades, Christians have lamented the decline of culture. We criticize Hollywood, complain about entertainment, and point out everything that's wrong with the stories shaping our civilization. But what comes after the criticism?

My guest, Andrew Stokich, co-founder of Logos Cinema, believes the answer isn't retreat—it's creation.

In this episode, we explore why storytelling has always been one of the primary ways civilizations pass on their values, why beauty matters as much as truth, and why the battle for culture begins in the imagination long before it reaches politics. We discuss the failures of mode...

What happens when Orthodox Christians stop simply criticizing culture and start creating it?

In this episode, Buck chats with his good friend Mano Elia—host of the Study of Stuff Podcast, founder of Spoon Records, and one of the driving forces behind the Bored No More movement—to discuss what it means to reclaim culture by creating art, music, film, and authentic community centered on Christ and His Church.

Mano shares the vision behind Bored No More, a growing network of Orthodox Christian creators dedicated to producing meaningful media, cultivating community, and encouraging artists to crea...

Before becoming Orthodox, Erika MacDougall spent years immersed in the occult. She practiced theistic Satanism, participated in blood rituals, worked with ritual magic, and was even paid to place curses on others. What promised power, hidden knowledge, and spiritual enlightenment ultimately led to bondage, fear, and despair.

In this episode, Erika shares her remarkable journey to Christ and the Orthodox Church while exploring the deeper spiritual realities behind the modern resurgence of occult practices.

Together we discuss astrology, tarot, manifestation, yoga, spiritual warfare, beauty, motherhood, repentance, and why so many people today are searching for...

In an age dominated by algorithms, outrage, and endless scrolling, what does it mean to become a truly human person?   John Heers joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on modernity, the crisis of meaning, internet Orthodoxy, the rise of the "Orthobro," and why so many people are searching for identity. We discuss how social media shapes the soul, why information alone cannot heal us, the Orthodox understanding of the heart, and how genuine community—not merely online discourse—forms us into the people God created us to be.   John argues that the greatest struggle of our time is not merely politi...

In this episode, Buck sits down with Dr. Anastasia Stewart, an Orthodox Christian psychologist and trauma specialist, to explore the relationship between modern psychology and the healing tradition of the Orthodox Church. Together they discuss where psychology contains genuine insights—and where it falls short without Christ.

Drawing on decades of experience treating trauma, PTSD, women's mental health, and veterans, Dr. Stewart explains why empathy without truth can become enabling, why validation isn't always loving, and why genuine healing requires both compassion and repentance. The conversation explores the limits of therapeutic culture, the role of clergy and clinicians in...

In this post-conference conversation, Fr. Turbo Qualls joins me to reflect on the themes, insights, and discussions that emerged from the inaugural OINTMENT Conference—an event bringing together clergy, clinicians, and laypeople to explore the relationship between Orthodox Christianity, mental health, and the healing of the human person.   Our discussion moves beyond the usual debates about therapy and religion to examine deeper questions: What is healing? What role do trauma, suffering, and repentance play in spiritual growth? How should Orthodox Christians think about psychology, medication, and mental health treatment? And how do we avoid reducing human beings to either diagnoses or...

In this episode, I chat with former Navy SEAL Slade Cutrer for a candid conversation about military service, trauma, spiritual warfare, and the search for healing. 

After spending fifteen years in one of the most demanding military communities in the world, Slade found himself facing challenges that combat training could not prepare him for. We discuss the realities of life in the SEAL Teams, PTSD, hyper-vigilance, sleep paralysis, and why he came to see many of his struggles as spiritual rather than merely psychological. 

Slade shares his experiences with New Age practices and psychedelic healing re...

Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov grew up in the Soviet Union during the final years of state-sponsored atheism before immigrating to the United States on his own. After some life happenings and lots of revelations, he became an Orthodox priest.

A fascinating aspect of his ministry has been in the prisons. We get into what that is and how it compares and contrasts with being a priest in a parish.

In this conversation, we discuss life under Soviet atheism, prison ministry, freedom and repentance, the struggle against the passions, fasting, and the challenges facing Christians in the...

In this episode, I chat with author Andrew Edwards to discuss his novel King of Dogs and the deeper realities that inspired it. While the conversation begins with fiction, it quickly expands into a wide-ranging discussion on spiritual warfare, civilizational decline, modern nihilism, masculinity, technology, geopolitics, and what it means to remain fully human in an age of fragmentation.   We explore the themes beneath the story: the forces competing for our attention, the spiritual consequences of a culture without transcendence, the nature of suffering, and the battle for the human soul in a world increasingly defined by distraction and disorder.   Is...

What happens when an Evangelical pastor begins seriously studying the early Church — and realizes modern Christianity looks very different from ancient Christianity?

In this episode, I chat with Father David Hovik to discuss his remarkable journey from Evangelical ministry into the Orthodox Church, and how that journey ultimately brought much of his congregation with him. This story is truly captivating. 

We talk about the spiritual hunger that exists beneath modern life, the limits of contemporary Christianity, and why more people are searching for something ancient, rooted, and sacramental.

Fr. David reflects on the risks, res...

Host of "American Orthodoxy" a live Orthodox news show, Benjamin Michael (formerly Orthodox Luigi) is a prior Marine Corps Officer and now Orthodox Christian apologist and Independent Journalist.

He engages in public debates, and creates educational content on Orthodox theology and various topics related to politics and religion, while also conducting advocacy work in Washington, D.C.

He is the Director of Public Affairs, Co-Founder, and Chair of Orthodox Worldwide, INC. He also serves as Secretary of the Society of St. John of San Francisco, a nationwide pan-Orthodox fraternity.

IN THIS EPISODE:

What if the biggest obstacle to understanding Christianity is not disbelief—but modernity itself?   In this episode, Buck chats with Dr. Zachary Porcu to discuss sacramental Christianity, the modern secular mindset, and why so many people today—even Christians—struggle to see reality the way the ancient Church did.   They explore the difference between treating Christianity as a system of ideas versus participating in it as a lived reality. The conversation dives into the nature of truth, the problem of interpretation, the meaning of the Trinity, the Fall of man, suffering, evil, and why the sacramental worldview of historic Christianity feels so...

In this episode, James Webb and I discuss the lessons America failed to carry forward from past wars, and why institutional memory seems to fade so quickly.
We get into the current geopolitical landscape, including Israel, Iran, and the risks of escalation—and what's often left out of mainstream narratives.

Jim breaks down how war is actually decided at the highest levels, and why the gap between leadership and the average citizen continues to widen.

We also explore the role of moral language in war—how concepts like "good" and "evil" are used, and some...

We're living in a moment where everyone is "doing the work"—therapy, healing, boundaries, trauma language—and yet people seem more anxious, unstable, and internally fragmented than ever.   In this episode, Fr. Turbo Qualls joins me to challenge the assumptions behind modern mental health culture and to ask a deeper question: are we misdiagnosing spiritual problems as psychological ones?   We get into the difference between trauma and the passions, where therapy can be helpful—and where it quietly falls short—and how certain modern practices can drift into spiritually dangerous territory when they're detached from the life of the Church.   We also dis...

In this episode, I talk with Darryl Cooper, host of the Martyr Made Podcast, and cohost of the Provoked Podcast (with Scott Horton as well) to talk about war, power, and the unseen forces shaping both.   With a background as a Navy Aegis technician and a decade as a DOD engineer, Darryl brings a unique perspective on leadership, influence, and the gap between narrative and reality. We get into his evolving views on political power, the danger of losing moral clarity in the pursuit of "understanding," and why history is often more complicated—and more uncomfortable—than people want to admit...

In this episode, I chat with Fr. John Valadez—Orthodox priest and the man behind Death to the World—to talk about what it actually means to die to the world in a culture that's built to keep you comfortable, entertained, and constantly distracted.   We get into why modern life makes it almost impossible to be still, why silence feels threatening to people, and how we've replaced transformation with validation without even realizing it.   But the conversation really centers around what he's building right now—   A retreat center. A real place. On real land. Set apart.   A place where you step out o...

In this episode, Buck sits down with Dr. Mark Faries, professor at Texas A&M and researcher in behavior change, to explore one of the most frustrating realities of modern life:

Why do we know what's healthy… and still fail to do it?

Dr. Faries breaks down the science behind human behavior—why people change, why they don't, and why most attempts at improving health fall apart over time. The conversation moves beyond surface-level advice and into the deeper issue of self-regulation failure—the internal battle between what we know and what we actually do.

...

What happens when faith is reduced to a feeling?

In this episode, I sit down with Fr. Justin Havens, a missionary priest serving at St. Joseph the Hesychast Serbian Orthodox Church, to talk about one of the most important spiritual questions of our time:

Is truth something you feel… or something you encounter?

Drawing from years of missionary work in Utah—one of the most spiritually unique regions in America—we unpack the contrast between subjective religious experience and objective truth in Christ, and why so many people today are starving for something deeper...

In this episode, I'm joined by Fr. John Whiteford to explore one of the most misunderstood books in all of Scripture: the Book of Revelation. 

For many modern Christians, Revelation is treated as a roadmap of future geopolitical events—something to decode through headlines, wars, and speculation. But in the Orthodox Christian tradition, Revelation is something far deeper: a vision of heavenly worship.

We begin by breaking down the true meaning of the Divine Liturgy—not as a symbolic gathering or a teaching session, but as real participation in the worship of heaven itself.

Fro...

In recent years the language of autism and ADHD has moved from clinical psychology into mainstream culture.
What was once a narrow medical diagnosis has expanded into a broad identity category embraced by millions online.
But what explains this sudden rise?

In this episode of Counterflow, Buck Johnson is joined by psychiatrist and writer Dr. Hannah Spier to explore the cultural, psychological, and social forces behind the modern "neurodivergence" movement.

Drawing from her widely discussed essays on autism, identity, and modern narcissism, Dr. Spier argues that the explosion of neurodivergent identity may say...

In this episode, Buck Johnson sits down with author Michael W. Davis, general editor of the Union of Orthodox Journalists, for a serious discussion about Christian Zionism, theology, and geopolitics.

Over the last century, Christian Zionism has become an influential framework shaping how many Christians understand the modern state of Israel, biblical prophecy, and the politics of the Middle East. But how does this theology compare with the faith of the early Church and the witness of the Church Fathers?

Drawing on Scripture, Church history, and Orthodox theology, Buck and Michael explore the origins of...

What happens when a man who built his identity in hip hop walks away from the illusion of the industry and into the ancient Church?

James "J-Ro" Robinson rose to prominence in the golden era of West Coast hip hop as a member of Tha Alkaholiks, part of Los Angeles' influential underground scene. Fame, touring, culture, and credibility were all there.

But behind the curtain, things weren't what they seemed.

In this conversation, J-Ro opens up about:

• His childhood and the spiritual influence of his great-grandfather, a Christian minister
• The form...

What do silver crashes, sovereign power, Vatican banking scandals, and free cash flow have in common?

In this conversation, Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson joins us to explore the moral psychology of markets and the spiritual dangers of fear-driven investing. From the 2026 silver collapse and what he calls the "Imperial Margin Call," to the collapse of the safe-haven narrative, to the deeper arithmetic behind margin-of-safety investing, this episode moves beyond headlines into first principles.

This is not merely a conversation about investing; it's about anthropology, empire, illusion, and sobriety. It's about whether modern markets form disciplined stewards...

What if the future of medicine looks less like a laboratory… and more like the life of the Church?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Michael Christian Kuhn, author of Orthodoxy and the Medicine of the Future, to explore the deep connection between spiritual life and physical health.

We discuss how modern society has become increasingly disembodied — separated from rhythm, stillness, fasting, and community — and how many of today's chronic health struggles may reflect that deeper fragmentation.

This conversation is not about rejecting modern medicine. It's about recovering wholeness.

If you...

In this conversation, Kate DeGraide reflects on faith that rearranges a life rather than decorating it. We talk about making art without losing your soul, creating music with her husband, Neil, in Dirt Poor Robbins, raising children without turning belief into performance, and what it means to live in the world without being absorbed by it. This is a conversation about beauty and art that demands something of us—about choosing a whole life over an easy one, and learning to remain human in the process. We also discuss challenges for women coming into the Orthodox Church, Covid years, Ka...

What does it mean to confront real evil without letting it destroy your soul?

In this episode, I'm joined by Tommy Green, vocalist of the band Holy Name and an Orthodox Christian deeply committed to ending child and sex trafficking. Tommy and his wife have an organization that helps young people getting out of this terrible life of being trafficked.

We talk about what it's like to look directly at the darkest expressions of human sin, and how the Orthodox Church, prayer, and the Holy Name of Christ provide a framework for fighting evil without...

In this episode, I talk with Josh Lazie, a former bassist for Danzig, to talk about a reality many of us live with but rarely name: the persistent sense that something is missing.

For years, he tried to fill that void with music, drugs, success, and the constant noise of the rock-and-roll lifestyle. For a time, those things worked. Eventually, they didn't.

We talk honestly about what that world gave him, what it cost him, and the moment he realized that nothing he was chasing would ever make him whole. We explore the restlessness beneath...

In this episode, we sit down with Father Hans Jacobse to discuss the crisis facing men today, and why isolation, secrecy, and private struggle are not compatible with the Orthodox life. Fr Hans started the St Paisios Brotherhood where men have been able to have a safe brotherhood for many years now. We explore the role of brotherhood in confronting temptation, forming men for marriage and family, and grounding masculine identity in the life of the Church.

This conversation addresses pornography, marriage, community, and the unique role Orthodox brotherhood plays in forming whole men capable of serving...

In this episode, Buck sits down with Father Turbo Qualls for a wide-ranging and sobering conversation about spiritual warfare, ecumenism, and the modern pressure on the Orthodox to trade truth for comfort.

Beginning with reflections from St. Mary of Egypt and the Synaxis of Hagia Sophia, the discussion moves into how external forces — political, cultural, and spiritual — have repeatedly targeted the Church, often in ways that are subtle, coordinated, and unseen.

Father Turbo revisits a past conversation with Buck about the COVID era, exploring how major disruptions in Church life coincided with key feasts, fasts, and...

In this interview, we speak with Oath Keepers founder and firsthand participant in the January 6 events, Stewart Rhodes, to explore what actually happened that day, from early morning intentions to the chaos that unfolded, the legal aftermath, and the long-term personal consequences.

We examine the gap between mainstream media narratives and lived experience, discuss federal involvement, accountability, and political responsibility, and reflect on the mental, spiritual, and moral toll of becoming a symbol in one of the most polarizing events in modern American history.

For more information on Stewart, go here: https://oathkeepers.info 

In this episode, Buck sits down with Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson to discuss a recent event widely framed as a historic step toward Christian unity, and why, from an Orthodox perspective, it feels anything but unifying.

Drawing from firsthand experience and deep ecclesial memory, the conversation explores why language of "unity" often masks unresolved (and unresolvable) theological differences between Rome and Orthodoxy. Together, they speak candidly about papal authority, conciliarity, modern ecumenism, and why converts are often the first to feel the spiritual consequences of institutional ambiguity.

This is not a polemic but a sober conversation...

In this episode, we're joined by Christina Taylor, founder of Orthodox Family Life, for a wide-ranging and honest conversation about marriage, parenting, education, and faithfulness in a desensitized modern world.

Christina shares her personal journey into Orthodoxy, how her understanding of family life has deepened over time, and the unique pressures Orthodox parents face today—especially converts raising children without the support of extended Orthodox communities.

We explore the tension between overprotective parenting and permissiveness, the roles of men and women within marriage, the lingering effects of feminism inside and outside the Church, and the ch...

In this episode, I speak with Fr. Deacon Ananias about Orthodox epistemology and the claim that true knowledge is not grounded in autonomous reason but in God's self-revelation. Contrasting Athens and Jerusalem, this conversation explores why Orthodoxy understands truth not as an idea, but as a Person: Jesus Christ.

We discuss revelation as theophany, the limits of philosophy, the apophatic tradition, and how knowledge in the Church is personal, communal, and transformative, not merely intellectual.

Topics include:
- East vs. West on knowledge and reason
- Revelation as encounter, not information
...

My guest this week is Ben, host of Cleave to Antiquity. Formerly an associate pastor in a Protestant Evangelical church and active in online Protestant apologetics, Ben began to realize that many of the arguments he made against Orthodox theology and dogma didn't hold up. That realization forced him to confront some difficult truths and make major changes in his life.

Today, Ben is a catechumen in the Orthodox Church. We talk about his journey, what led him to re-examine his assumptions, and the lessons he has learned along the way.

Sponsor:

Podsworth...

In this episode, we dig into the idea that the Antichrist might not show up as some dark, terrifying figure, but instead as a really nice guy. The article we're discussing suggests he'll look peaceful, tolerant, reasonable, and even compassionate. In other words, the kind of leader most people would cheer for.

We talk about why that kind of "niceness" can actually be the most dangerous form of deception. Modern culture often tells us that being a good person just means being kind, promoting unity, and making life comfortable, but the article points out that goodness without...

In this deeply pastoral and wide-ranging conversation, Buck chats with Metropolitan Jonah to discuss the surge of interest in Orthodox Christianity, the spiritual formation of newcomers, and the timeless wisdom the Church offers to a restless modern world. From the inner life of the believer to practical struggles facing parishes today, this episode provides both clarity and compassion for anyone seeking to understand Orthodoxy more deeply — or walk it more faithfully.

Sponsors:
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Podsworth App: https://podsworth.com 
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