Counterflow with Buck Johnson

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 contra...

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 ...

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 "n...

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 ...

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...

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...

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 toda...

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 wh...

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 s...

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 m...

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...

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 s...

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...

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 sp...

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 supp...

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 Churc...

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...

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 ...

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 mor...