Counterflow with Buck Johnson

In this post-conference conversation, Fr. Turbo Qualls joins me to reflect on the themes, insights, and discussions that emerged from the inaugural OINTMENT Conference—an event bringing together clergy, clinicians, and laypeople to explore the relationship between Orthodox Christianity, mental health, and the healing of the human person. Our discussion moves beyond the usual debates about therapy and religion to examine deeper questions: What is healing? What role do trauma, suffering, and repentance play in spiritual growth? How should Orthodox Christians think about psychology, medication, and mental health treatment? And how do we avoid reducing human beings to either diagnoses or demons? We explore the Orthodox understanding of the person, the Church as a hospital for the soul, the modern crisis of loneliness and fragmentation, and the ultimate goal of the Christian life—theosis. Whether you're a priest, clinician, convert, or simply someone seeking healing, this conversation offers a thoughtful and deeply Orthodox vision of what it means to become whole. In This Episode * Reflections and takeaways from the OINTMENT Conference * Orthodoxy and modern psychology * Trauma, suffering, and spiritual healing * The relationship between clergy and clinicians * The Church as a hospital for the soul * Medication, therapy, and discernment * Theosis as the goal of the Christian life * The deepest wounds of modern America * Hope for the future of Orthodox ministry and mental health care About Fr. Turbo Qualls Fr. Turbo Qualls is the rector of St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the founder of the OINTMENT Institute, an initiative dedicated to fostering collaboration between Orthodox clergy and mental health professionals in the care and healing of the human person. Fr. Turbo holds graduate and postgraduate degrees in Addiction Studies and Pastoral Counseling with an emphasis in crisis response and trauma. He also serves as a spiritual father, speaker, educator, and conference organizer, helping Orthodox Christians think more deeply about healing, suffering, and the therapeutic tradition of the Church. Learn More: OINTMENT Institute⁠ A growing network dedicated to fostering collaboration between Orthodox clergy and mental health professionals while remaining rooted in the Orthodox understanding of the human person and the healing of the soul. OINTMENT Conference St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church⁠ Located in Kansas City, Missouri, St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church is known for its commitment to Orthodox evangelism, pastoral care, education, and outreach. The parish also supports ministries including Mt. Tabor School of Liberal Arts and has become a hub for Orthodox formation and discipleship. Support the Show: If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend. Your support helps us continue exploring faith, culture, and the pursuit of truth through conversations with Orthodox clergy, scholars, clinicians, and cultural commentators. www.patreon.com/counterflow 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 Donate to the show here: https://www.patreon.com/counterflow Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

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. Sponsor: Donate to the show here: https://www.patreon.com/counterflow Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com 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 Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

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 Donate to the show here: https://www.patreon.com/counterflow Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com 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 Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

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 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!

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. This conversation is not about rejecting modern medicine. It's about recovering wholeness. If you're Orthodox — or simply curious about how faith shapes health — this episode will help you think more clearly about the unity of body and soul. For more from Dr Mike, go here: https://www.orthodoxhealth.com/orthodox-health-podcast Sponsors: Perfect Spiral Capital: https://PerfectSpiralCapital.com/counterflow 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 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!

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 provide a framework for fighting evil without becoming it. Tommy's organization: https://www.irunagainsttraffic.com Sponsors: Harmony Icons: https://harmonyicons.com/counterflow 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 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!

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, marriage, community, and the unique role Orthodox brotherhood plays in forming whole men capable of serving their families, parishes, and the world. For more on this, go here: https://www.stpaisiosbrotherhood Sponsors: Harmony Icons: https://harmonyicons.com/counterflow 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 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!

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 symbol in one of the most polarizing events in modern American history. For more information on Stewart, go here: https://oathkeepers.info ...and here: https://givesendgo.com/Oath Sponsors: Perfect Spiral Capital: https://PerfectSpiralCapital.com/counterflow 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 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!