Counterflow with Buck Johnson

Fr. Peter Heers returns to Counterflow for a conversation about ecumenism, ideology, and the proper ordering of both the human soul and the Church. We begin with a warning Fr. Peter gave me years ago during our time together on Mount Athos: that ecumenism would be one of the greatest challenges we'd face as Orthodox Christians. We revisit that conversation and explore the historical origins of ecumenism, its underlying assumptions, and its implications for how we understand the Church. From there, we examine ideology and the ways modern thinking can shape our understanding of reality, often without our even recognizing it. We also get into Orthodox anthropology and the proper relationship between the nous, reason, logic, and emotions—and what happens when these faculties become disordered. Fr. Peter brings his theological and historical knowledge to a discussion about truth, spiritual discernment, hierarchy, and the importance of acquiring the mind of the Church rather than imposing our own understanding upon it. Learn more about Fr. Peter's work: Orthodox Ethos: https://www.orthodoxethos.com Uncut Mountain Press: https://uncutmountainpress.com

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What happens when the institutions running a country seem more interested in extracting its wealth than preserving its future? I'm joined by William George, an Orthodox Christian living in England, to discuss the decline of the West, the interests of political and financial elites, and the geopolitical tensions surrounding Russia, Ukraine, and Europe. We also get into the City of London, the British establishment, and the temptation to get swallowed up by political ideology. But the conversation goes beyond politics. As Orthodox Christians, how do we confront the problems of the world without allowing anger, fear, and ideology to consume us? We discuss why the real work begins with repentance, guarding the heart, and keeping Christ at the center of our lives. Check out William's podcast, Preppers in Paradise, co-hosted with Alex Braszko, where they discuss preparedness, self-sufficiency, faith, and navigating an increasingly uncertain world.

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What if we've completely misunderstood the purpose of marriage? In this episode, recorded live at my parish, St. Andrew's ROCOR Orthodox Church in Lockhart, Texas, I'm joined by Fr. Justin Havens to discuss the Orthodox Christian understanding of marriage and how it differs from what we've come to accept in the modern West. We get into love, sacrifice, divorce, the meaning behind the Orthodox wedding ceremony, and the idea that marriage isn't simply about making us happy. It's about changing us. We also discuss how individualism and our obsession with personal fulfillment have shaped the way we approach relationships, often at the expense of commitment, forgiveness, and genuine love. It's a conversation about what marriage was meant to be, what we've made it into, and what the ancient Church still has to teach us. Fr. Justin's parish site: https://sjo.church/

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Longinus was at the point where he didn't want to live anymore. His mother, Sophia, was at the point where all she could do was pray. They join me to tell the story of what happened next—a suicide attempt, time in a psychiatric hospital, years of struggle, and eventually, an unexpected path into the Orthodox Church. We talk about despair, a mother's persistence, conversion, and what it looks like when God begins working through circumstances that, at the time, seem completely hopeless. This is a heavy one, but a beautiful one. I'm grateful they trusted me with their story.

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Father Michael Marcantoni joins me to talk about addiction, recovery, repentance, and the Orthodox spiritual life. Father Michael shares his own journey through alcoholism and sobriety, what "rock bottom" actually means, his experience with AA and the 12 steps, and the surprising similarities between recovery and the life of repentance. We also get into his time in the military, his road to Orthodoxy and the priesthood, and what addiction can teach us about surrender, accountability, and our need for God. This was an open and honest conversation about addiction—not simply as a substance problem, but as a spiritual one—and what it really means to turn around and begin again. Learn more about Father Michael and St. John Chrysostom Greek Orthodox Church in Nashville

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This week I'm joined by Jeff Messina, a longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and Orthodox Christian. We get into what happens when the mat exposes your ego, why knowing how to fight doesn't mean looking for a fight, and what jiu-jitsu can teach us about humility, discipline, and self-control. We also talk about Jeff's journey into Orthodoxy, the importance of having a teacher, and why real strength has a lot more to do with mastering yourself than dominating somebody else. Check out Jeff's gym, Revolution Dojo: https://www.revolutiondojo.com/

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I've known Kara Mosher for a few years now and she has one hell of a story.

Her road to Orthodoxy was already pretty wild. She spent years involved in the occult, New Age spirituality, psychedelics, and all kinds of things she thought might give her answers or healing. Eventually, that search led her somewhere she never expected: the Orthodox Church.

This conversation is about love, loss, and what it means to surrender someone you love to God.

Kara shares the story of Jody, her partner of sixteen years, his long struggle with addiction, and the tragic fire that left him fighting for his life. In those final hours, Kara was given an unexpected opportunity to do something that Jody had wanted but never completed: baptize him into the Orthodox Church.

We talk about that day, the firefighters who brought Jody back, the baptism, grief, providence, and what Kara means when she says this experience "crucified her will."

This is a heavy conversation, but it's not a hopeless one. It's about discovering that loving someone doesn't mean you can save them—and learning to trust God when His answer looks nothing like the one you prayed for.

Guest Website:

https://www.karamosher.com/

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Justine Alter joins me to discuss her book How Could I Possibly Convert to Orthodox Christianity?, written specifically for psychics, magicians, occult practitioners, and others attempting to leave that world behind. Justine writes from firsthand experience with the occult and now approaches these questions from within Orthodox Christianity. We talk about psychic phenomena, spirit communication, demons, prelest and spiritual discernment; why seemingly accurate supernatural information can itself become a trap; the seductive idea of being "gifted" or spiritually special; and why the desire to know what other people are thinking or feeling can slowly replace genuine human relationship with observation, prediction, and control. We also get into the modern fascination with being an "empath," and the danger of treating our impressions of other people as unquestionable facts. Because of threats connected to her past, Justine does not appear on camera and uses a voice modifier to protect her identity.

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Kenneth B., writer of Becoming Orthodox, joins me for a great conversation about his journey to the Orthodox Church and what he's learned along the way.

We get into Scripture and Tradition, the saints, the Theotokos, the ancient Jewish world Christianity emerged from, and why more young people seem to be searching for something deeper than what modern Christianity and culture are offering.

We also talk about the danger of being right—especially for Orthodox converts.

Finding the ancient Church doesn't mean our job is to beat everyone we love over the head with it.

Sometimes we speak the truth, live the faith, love people where they are, and trust the Holy Spirit to do what we can't. It's a very beautiful conversation about discovering Orthodoxy, living the faith, and what it actually means to become Orthodox.

Sponsors:

Ludwell Orthodox Fellowship Conference, Sept 12th 2026

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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 into sola scriptura, the relationship between Scripture and the Church, Fundamentalism's attempt to fight rationalism with rationalism, and Clark's argument that Orthodoxy begins from an entirely different understanding of Christianity—not primarily as a system of ideas, but as life in Christ and participation in His Body, the Church. Clark is also co-founder and editorial director of the Philip Ludwell III Orthodox Fellowship, which works to nurture and grow the Orthodox faith in the American South. Check out their work, articles, conferences, and more at SouthernOrthodox.org. Sponsors:

Ludwell Orthodox Fellowship Conference, Sept 12th 2026

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