Counterflow with Buck Johnson

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 conversation, we discuss life under Soviet atheism, prison ministry, freedom and repentance, the struggle against the passions, fasting, and the challenges facing Christians in the modern world.

We also explore technology, artificial intelligence, and what it means to cultivate wisdom in an age overflowing with information.

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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 explore the themes beneath the story: the forces competing for our attention, the spiritual consequences of a culture without transcendence, the nature of suffering, and the battle for the human soul in a world increasingly defined by distraction and disorder. Is modern society experiencing a political crisis, a cultural crisis, or a spiritual one? And how can Christians cultivate clarity, courage, and faithfulness amid uncertainty and collapse? This conversation uses fiction as a lens to examine the world we actually inhabit. About Andrew Edwards: Andrew Edwards is a novelist, essayist, and cultural commentator whose work explores the intersection of faith, meaning, masculinity, power, and civilizational decline. His novel King of Dogs blends post-collapse fiction, spiritual symbolism, and philosophical reflection to examine what remains of the human person when the structures of modern life begin to fail. Through both fiction and non-fiction writing, Edwards explores the moral, spiritual, and cultural questions shaping the modern world. Connect with Andrew Edwards: * X / Twitter: https://x.com/goldengoatguild * Substack: https://substack.com/@goldengoatguild Donate to the show here: https://www.patreon.com/counterflow

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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 captivating. We talk about the spiritual hunger that exists beneath modern life, the limits of contemporary Christianity, and why more people are searching for something ancient, rooted, and sacramental. Fr. David reflects on the risks, resistance, and transformation that came with leaving behind familiar forms of Christianity in pursuit of what he became convinced was the historic Church founded by Christ and preserved through the centuries. This conversation explores: - Fr. David's path from Evangelical pastor to Orthodox priest - The role of Church history in his conversion - Why modern Christianity can feel spiritually fragmented - The difference between "personal faith" and historic Christianity - Liturgy, sacraments, and the ancient Christian worldview - Bringing an entire congregation into Orthodoxy - Spiritual formation in a distracted modern age - Why people are increasingly drawn to the ancient faith Fr. David brings a calm, pastoral, and deeply grounded perspective to questions many modern Christians are quietly wrestling with. FOLLOW FR. DAVID / ST. ANDREW ORTHODOX CHURCH: St. Andrew Orthodox Church

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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 Director of Public Affairs, Co-Founder, and Chair of Orthodox Worldwide, INC. He also serves as Secretary of the Society of St. John of San Francisco, a nationwide pan-Orthodox fraternity.

IN THIS EPISODE: * Benjamin Michael's journey into Orthodoxy * Why he began speaking publicly about Israel and geopolitics * What people mean by "the Jewish Question" * Orthodox perspectives on nationalism and identity * The modern Right and its internal fractures * Boomers, Gen X, and the changing political landscape * Zionism, empire, and modern power structures * The Russian Revolution and ideological upheaval * Marxism, globalism, and spiritual dislocation * The Third Temple and modern prophetic movements * Why many people feel politically betrayed * The difference between Orthodox nationalism and secular nationalism

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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 versus participating in it as a lived reality. The conversation dives into the nature of truth, the problem of interpretation, the meaning of the Trinity, the Fall of man, suffering, evil, and why the sacramental worldview of historic Christianity feels so foreign to the modern mind. They also discuss the necessity of the Church, the priesthood, the sacraments, and why Christianity cannot be reduced to either "just me and my Bible" or vague spirituality detached from embodied worship and communion. IN THIS EPISODE * Why modern people misunderstand Christianity * The difference between text-based and sacramental Christianity * The meaning of "participatory" truth * The Trinity and the problem of "the one and the many" * Why modern culture struggles to understand love * The deeper meaning of the Fall * The origins of evil and suffering * Problems with modern Christian views of suffering * The necessity of the Church and priesthood * Why sacraments are more than symbols * Where the Bible fits within the life of the Church * Recovering a sacramental view of reality ABOUT DR. ZACHARY PORCU Zachary Porcu is the author of Journey to Reality and the host of the podcast The Roots of Everything. Zachary earned his PhD in Church History at The Catholic University of America under the direction of Robin Darling Young. He holds additional degrees in Philosophy, Classics, and Interdisciplinary Humanities and has taught Greek, Latin, history, philosophy, and theology at private schools and universities on both the East and West coasts. Zachary is a catechist at St. Andrew's Orthodox Church, an editor at St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, and a lecturer at St. Athanasius College. LINKS Journey to Reality by Dr. Zachary Porcu Ancient Faith Publishing

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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 leadership and the average citizen continues to widen.

We also explore the role of moral language in war—how concepts like "good" and "evil" are used, and sometimes misused, in shaping public support.

From there, the conversation turns deeper: the spiritual and psychological cost of war, what it does to the people who fight it, and whether modern society has any real framework for dealing with that kind of weight.

Finally, we ask the question at the center of it all:

If a nation loses its relationship to truth—what is left to die for?

ABOUT THE GUEST

James (Jim) Webb is a third-generation Marine who, following his service, has worked in policy, politics, and journalism. In 2005, he dropped out of college to enlist in the Marine Corps Infantry and fought in the Battle of Ramadi from 2006–2007.

After completing his degree, Jim worked on Capitol Hill for U.S. Senator Rand Paul, where he served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He later worked at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and as a Senior Policy Advisor for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Jim has also worked as a journalist for multiple outlets, including embedding with U.S. troops across Afghanistan. Get the new Counterflow T-shirt before it sells out! Visit https://www.counterflowpodcast.com/store or send $30 via PayPal to [email protected] with your size and shipping address!

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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 into the difference between trauma and the passions, where therapy can be helpful—and where it quietly falls short—and how certain modern practices can drift into spiritually dangerous territory when they're detached from the life of the Church. We also discuss why the Orthodox tradition emphasizes repentance over self-focus, how confession differs from therapy, and what real healing actually looks like—not as self-optimization, but as transformation. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right but still feel stuck, this conversation goes beneath the surface. OINTMENT is a conference and movement centered on healing the soul through the life of the Church. At a time when "healing" is often reduced to self-focus and psychological frameworks, OINTMENT aims to reorient people toward repentance, ascetic struggle, and communion with God as the true path to restoration. The conference brings together Orthodox clergy, teachers, and speakers to address topics like spiritual illness, the passions, modern therapy culture, and what it means to actually be healed—not just feel better. It's designed for people who sense that something is missing in the modern conversation around mental health and are looking for something deeper, more grounded, and ultimately more transformative. Learn more: www.ointmentconference.org Fr. Turbo Qualls / OINTMENT www.ointmentconference.org For more from Father Turbo go here:

Synaxis of Sophia

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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 "understanding," and why history is often more complicated—and more uncomfortable—than people want to admit. We also talk about something deeper: spiritual warfare. Darryl shares how his conversion to Orthodox Christianity changed the way he sees the world—not just politically or historically, but spiritually. Because at a certain point, you realize this isn't just about what's happening out there. There's a battle happening beneath it all. About Darryl Cooper Darryl Cooper is the host of the Martyr Made Podcast, and cohost of the Provoked Podcast. His MartyrMade show is known for long-form, narrative-driven explorations of history and culture. He previously served 10 years in the U.S. Navy as an Aegis fire control technician and spent another decade as a Department of Defense engineer. His work focuses on understanding the deeper forces—historical, cultural, and spiritual—that shape the world around us. For more from Darryl, go here: Martyr Made Podcast https://martyrmade.com Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-martyrmade-podcast/id978322714 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2c8v0K3T8XxZpK0s8AjtKf X https://x.com/martyrmade YouTube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=martyr+made+podcast Provoked with Scott Horton and Darryl Cooper Official site https://provoked.show Get the new Counterflow T-shirt before it sells out! Visit https://www.counterflowpodcast.com/store or send $30 via PayPal to [email protected] with your size and shipping address!

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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 right now— A retreat center. A real place. On real land. Set apart. A place where you step out of the noise, put the phone down, and actually have to face yourself… and God. We talk about why that kind of place is necessary right now, what happens to a person when the distractions are stripped away, and why most people have never actually experienced silence long enough for anything real to happen. It's about building something real in a world that isn't. And what it actually costs to live a serious spiritual life. For more on Fr John, go here: https://www.sttimothy.net/ And for Death to the World, go here: https://deathtotheworld.com/ For more information on the retreat center, go here: https://youtu.be/lJejv9xL5hU?feature=shared And here: https://www.meetingofthelord.com/

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Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com

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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 right now— A retreat center. A real place. On real land. Set apart. A place where you step out of the noise, put the phone down, and actually have to face yourself… and God. We talk about why that kind of place is necessary right now, what happens to a person when the distractions are stripped away, and why most people have never actually experienced silence long enough for anything real to happen. It's about building something real in a world that isn't. And what it actually costs to live a serious spiritual life. For more on Fr John, go here: https://www.sttimothy.net/ And for Death to the World, go here: https://deathtotheworld.com/ For more information on the retreat center, go here: https://youtu.be/lJejv9xL5hU?feature=shared And here: https://www.meetingofthelord.com/

Sponsor:

Podsworth App: https://podsworth.com Code: BUCK50 for HALF off your first order! Clean up your recordings, sound like a pro, and support the Counterflow Podcast! Full Ad Read BEFORE processing: https://youtu.be/F4ljjtR5QfA Full Ad Read AFTER processing: https://youtu.be/J6trRTgmpwE

Get the new Counterflow T-shirt before it sells out! Visit https://www.counterflowpodcast.com/store or send $30 via PayPal to [email protected] with your size and shipping address!

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!