Counterflow with Buck Johnson

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 Orthod...

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 h...

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 therap...

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...

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 conv...

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 expl...

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 capti...

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 Di...

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 ve...

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...

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 i...

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...

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 wit...

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 convers...

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 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 wors...

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...

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....

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...

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 behi...

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, a...

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...

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...

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 ga...

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,...