Seeing Through Cynicism: A Reconsideration of the Power of Suspicion

We live in a cynical age. Cynicism is in the air we breathe; it is a cultural norm; it is the default setting and lens through which many of us view the world. Why is cynicism so pervasive? What does it promise? How does it work? And what does it deliver? In this thorough, interdisciplinary exploration of cynicism, Dick Keyes probes the intellectual and cultural underpinnings of cynicism in its modern and postmodern manifestations. In analyzing our cynicism toward individuals, institutions and God, he gives cynicism the scrutiny it deserves, arguing for its merits as a tool for discernment while pointing out its limitations. Keyes subjects cynicism to its own critique and ultimately looks beyond cynicism to alternatives that wrestle honestly with suspicion, trust and hope. Wide-ranging and vast in scope, Seeing Through Cynicism offers meaty, substantive perspectives for faithful living in a cynical world.

Dick Keyes (B.A., Harvard; M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary) is director of L'Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has worked for more than twenty-five years. He has also worked for L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and in England, and he has served as a pastor in the International Presbyterian Church in London, England. He has taught as an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Westminster Theological Seminary. His books include Beyond Identity, True Heroism and Chameleon Christianity.