Counterflow with Buck Johnson

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 t...

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, accountab...

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 Ro...

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 convert...

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 tradit...

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...

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 dec...

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...

Protodeacon Patrick Mitchell returns to the show to discuss his new book, Christ as Truth and Truth as Christ. In this conversation, we explore what it truly means that Christ is Truth—not as a concept, not as a feeling, but as a living Person. Protodeacon Patrick helps us unpack the difference between objective truth and the modern world's obsession with "personal truth," showing how our understa...

In this episode, I'm joined again by Mano Elia for a wide-ranging conversation on discernment, community, and the spiritual struggle of our time. We're not in an age where truth is hidden anymore; everything, from truth to lies, is out in the open. The real challenge is no longer finding information, but seeing clearly through it. What we face now isn't a war of disinformation; it's a war of disce...

My guest this week is someone you might remember from last year when we talked about his book, Antichrist: The Fulfillment of Globalization (from Uncut Mountain Press). He's back with us today to dig into the themes from his recent article, Is God an Antisemite? (on Orthodox Ethos). We get into what antisemitism actually means, the roots of Rabbinic Judaism, and how all of this connects to Christ...

This week on the podcast, I'm excited to feature Nicholas Mamey, an Orthodox Christian and psychotherapist. Nicholas joins me to discuss the positive and negative aspects of therapy and self-healing through an Orthodox Christian lens. In a world filled with pop-psychology "white noise" and self-obsession, Nicholas offers a unique perspective on what true healing entails. Tune in for this important...

This week, we are featuring one of the most unique interviews I've ever conducted. My guest, Justine Alter (a pseudonym), is an Orthodox Christian and author of the book *Outside of the World*. In her book, Justine shares her incredible journey from a difficult childhood through the occult, her experiences as a psychic medium, and even her time as a cult leader, ultimately finding her way to the O...

Conrad Franz, co-host of the World War Now podcast, joins us from Moscow, Russia, where he's in the midst of a journey that included Moldova as well. He gives us some details regarding the attempted takeover of the Church in Moldova by NATO and Western powers. Conrad also went to the Donetsk region where he was nearly hit by a missile fired by the Ukrainian military. This episode has a lot of valu...

In this episode, Fr. Peter Heers reflects on Charlie Kirk's legacy following his public execution, viewing it through an Orthodox Christian lens. He emphasizes that many will now turn to the Church, so believers must be prepared with love, truth, proper catechism, and vigilance against personal pitfalls. Sponsors: Fox n Sons Coffee: https://www.foxnsons.com   Code: BUCK15 Podsworth App: https://po...

This is a re-run of an episode that was very powerful... so powerful it got deleted from YouTube. This is my wish to release it again to you and see if we can keep it up this time! Dr. Naomi Wolf joins me to go over the serious information that her team uncovered in the Pfizer documents. At dailyclout.io, she assembled a team of over 3,500 medical experts to comb over the thousands and thousands o...

My guest this week is my friend Nina Morris, an Orthodox Christian and mother who grew up in the Texas foster care system. I had no idea about the kinds of experiments and challenges these children endured, but Nina lived through them, and she opens up about her experience in this episode. Despite attempts to break her spiritually and mentally, by the grace of God, she came through on the other si...

This week, Patrick Mitchell joins us to discuss the oft-discussed topic of the "Ortho-bros". Some use it in a humorous way, some as a pejorative, but whatever the case, there are a lot of zealous young men flocking to the Church. Are we to tame them? Shouldn't we be celebrating them? We get into a wonderful deep discussion on this issue. For Protodeacon Patrick's writings and books, go here: https...

While we rarely dedicate an episode to a single movie, this film is a special exception. "El Tonto Por Cristo" is told through luminous vignettes, following a brotherhood of monks on the Texas Gulf as they strive for sainthood while grappling with their human struggles. Inspired by the ancient tradition of the Holy Fool and set within the quiet rhythms of monastic life, it stands as the first Engl...

My guests this week have a very good new podcast called War Priest. They're both Orthodox Christians and have extensive military careers. In this episode, we discuss morality when it comes to war, the responsibilities at the top, just war theory, loyal disobedience, and more. Watch their podcast here: https://youtube.com/@warpriest   Sponsors: Podsworth App: https://podsworth.com Code: BUCK50 for...

This week, Father John Whiteford is back with us to explore some topics in and around the false theology of dispensationalism. While it may be nearing the end of its cycle, there are still many faithful Christians that believe in this false teaching. We explore why this came about, the pre-tribulation rapture, the funding of Hamas by Netanyahu, the claim that modern men can better translate Script...

I was honored to join the great Tom Woods on his show for this episode recorded live at the Ron Paul 90th birthday BBQ event. Donate to the show here: https://www.patreon.com/counterflow   Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com   Audio Production by Podsworth Media: https://www.podsworth.com   Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

Our friend Cyprian, formerly known as Vin Armani, is back with us today. We will be continuing our theme on masculinity and then taking the discussion into technology and AI. These topics are related, and you'll see how during this episode. Sponsor: Perfect Spiral Capital: https://PerfectSpiralCapital.com/counterflow Get the new Counterflow T-shirt before it sells out! Visit https://www.counterflo...

Rachel Wilson is the author of "Occult Feminism: The Secret History of Women's Liberation" and she joins us today to discuss the topic of feminism and relationships. There's a default assumption that feminism was a necessary evil. But has it done more harm than good? Has it done any good at all? Why were the founding voices in the movement also into the occult? We discuss the modern day relationsh...

Fr. John Peck is back with us this week. We dive into a topic with a ton of low frequency noise in our current society. I wanted to get a more grounded, truthful view of what healthy masculinity and femininity look like. We hear all kinds of wild versions of this which sometimes sound legitimate but aren't rooted in Truth. For more from Fr. John Peck, go here: https://goodguyswearblack.org   Spons...