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PODCAST

Counterflow with Buck Johnson

The Counterflow Podcast is a weekly show featuring discussions and interviews with people who are outside of and critical toward mainstream liberal and conservative politics. Counterflow challenges the conventional narratives sold to us as truth. The show features thinkers from all backgrounds, who do not fit into the narrow framework of fashionable opinion. The show addresses cultural, spiritual and lifestyle issues as well as philosophy and geo-politics. Host Buck Johnson (formerly of the Death To

news politics

All Episodes

01:23:35

Ep. 410 - War, Truth, and the Battle You Can't See,...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/04/21

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

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01:02:02

Ep. 409 - (FIXED) Dying to the World in an Age of...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/04/15

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

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01:03:46

Ep. 408 - The Gut and the Soul: Health, Habit, and...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/04/07

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

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01:04:55

Ep. 407 - Beyond Feelings: Truth, Asceticism, and the...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/03/31

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

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01:04:43

Ep. 406 - Heaven on Earth: The Divine Liturgy and the...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/03/24

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

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56:53

Ep. 405 - The Narcissism Behind the Neurodivergence...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/03/17

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

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01:03:23

Ep. 404 - Christian Zionism: Political Ideology...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/03/10

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

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01:23:08

Ep. 403 - From Hip Hop to Holy Tradition, with J-Ro...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/03/05

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

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01:10:48

Ep. 402 - Orthodoxy and the Modern Markets, with Fr....

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/02/25

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

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01:09:04

Ep. 401 - Orthodoxy and the Medicine of the Future,...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/02/18

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

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01:23:13

Ep. 400 - A Harder Kind of Beauty: Faith, Art, &...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/02/11

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

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01:04:11

Ep. 399 - Child Trafficking & the Orthodox War for...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/02/04

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

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01:08:40

Ep. 398 - Danzig, Darkness, and the Search for God,...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/01/28

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

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01:00:08

Ep. 397 - Brotherhood, Temptation, and the Cost of...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/01/21

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,

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01:15:00

Ep. 396 - Powers & Principalities: The Unseen War...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/01/14

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

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01:27:37

Ep. 395 - January 6th: Power, Lies, and the Cost of...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2026/01/07

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

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01:02:53

Ep. 394 - Will the Catholic Church Reunite with the...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2025/12/31

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,

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01:02:43

Ep. 393 - The Orthodox Family Life, with Christina...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2025/12/24

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

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01:00:09

Ep. 392 - What is Knowledge, and How Do We Actually...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2025/12/17

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

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01:01:06

Ep. 391 - From Protestant Pastor to Orthodox...

Counterflow with Buck Johnson ·

2025/12/10

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

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