Counterflow with Buck Johnson

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. Topics include: - East vs. West on knowledge and reason - Revelation as encounter, not information - Apophatic knowing and humility - Philosophy: rejected, redeemed, or baptized? - Why truth is known in communion For more from Fr Deacon Ananias, go here: https://www.patristicfaith.com ...and here: https://www.youtube.com/@esorem Sponsors: Fox n Sons Coffee: https://www.foxnsons.com Code: BUCK15 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!

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 lessons he has learned along the way. 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 Audio Production by Podsworth Media: https://www.podsworth.com Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

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 us that being a good person just means being kind, promoting unity, and making life comfortable, but the article points out that goodness without God slowly pushes real spiritual life out of the picture. We get into how our culture's obsession with progress, peace, and material well-being makes it easy to confuse charm with truth. We also look at what the Church Fathers say about the Antichrist's personality: that he'll win people over with flattery and a gentle demeanor before revealing what he's really after. In short, this is a conversation about discernment: how to recognize the difference between true goodness and a polished counterfeit, especially in a world that loves a friendly face. For the article , go here: https://open.substack.com/pub/inklesspen/p/the-antichrist-is-a-nice-guy Sponsors: Fox n Sons Coffee: https://www.foxnsons.com Code: BUCK15 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 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 more deeply — or walk it more faithfully. 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!

Protodeacon Patrick Mitchell returns to the show to discuss his new book, Christ as Truth and Truth as Christ. In this conversation, we explore what it truly means that Christ is Truth—not as a concept, not as a feeling, but as a living Person. Protodeacon Patrick helps us unpack the difference between objective truth and the modern world's obsession with "personal truth," showing how our understanding of Truth shapes everything from our love for others to our view of the world. We then examine the five great enemies of Truth: Gnosticism, Romanticism, Anarchism, Nihilism, and Tribalism, each of which distorts the human mind and heart in its own way. Along the way, we discuss the God of Israel and the temptation to make the self the measure of all things. This is a deep-dive into how Truth, rightly understood, leads us not into ideology or isolation, but into the life of Christ Himself. Sponsors: Fox n Sons Coffee: https://www.foxnsons.com Code: BUCK15 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!