A Wilderness of Mirrors

“The trouble with pessimism is that it isn’t dark enough. Nor is optimism bright enough. A Wilderness of Mirrors takes us deep into the shadows of our culture of mistrust. With his unsparing look at recent history, Mark Meynell uncovers a relentless litany of examples, from dreamy-eyed hopes for international understanding to intelligence cover-ups, political campaigns based on fear, spin doctors, and the rest, leaving us convinced that things are far bleaker than we had imagined. But then the book follows with hope, a radically different kind of hope, brighter than we’d thought possible. The gospel commends proper suspicion, a Jesus subversive of established order, but especially love, the love of God that enables us to “love your crooked neighbor with your own crooked heart.” Just as Ecclesiastes and the Gospel accounts belong in the biblical canon, so Meynell’s fresh apologetic confronts us with both miserable desolation and great joy.”

William Edgar

“A Wilderness of Mirrors is a really good book — well researched, well written, and well worth reading. Mark Meynell does an excellent job of analyzing the skepticism of our age and showing there are good reasons for cynicism. However, he also shows us why the God of the Bible is utterly different and how we must learn to doubt our doubts if we are going to see God for who he truly is as the promise keeper. We’ve all struggled with trust, but Mark gives us a solid base from which we can learn to truly trust.”

Steve Timmis

“A Wilderness of Mirrors is born out of years of paying attention to the world. Remarkably adept at understanding the cross-Atlantic cultural complexities between the United Kingdom and the United States — and set within the complexity of globalization — Mark Meynell is as perceptive a reader of contemporary politics as he is of modern art. With his richly wrought theological vision and uncanny honesty, he offers a way forward for all who wrestle with how to form a good life in this disorienting time in history, where the more we know, the more cynical we must become. Here we are offered a hard-won, deeply thoughtful reason to believe otherwise.”

Steven Garber

“so we no longer feel able to trust anyone. A Wilderness of Mirrors is a penetrating cultural critique that explains how and why trust has collapsed in our society. This is neither a simplistic nor an easy book, but it is profoundly challenging and will repay careful reading.”

John Stevens

“It is easy to feel waterboarded in cynicism living in Washington, D.C. It is a city that houses leaders and journalists who are superb at crafting lies and deceit for personal gain. A Wilderness of Mirrors is a timely resource for anyone who finds life dominated by mistrust and suspicion. Mark Meynell’s insights help us better understand not only why such cynicism is warranted, but how the gospel is the only reason for hope.”

Chuck Garriott

“In this profound book, Mark Meynell resists the temptation to tell us what to see in this illusory, fallen world. Instead he lays the groundwork that allows us, through faith, to perceive for ourselves. He isn’t concerned with telling us what to think, but rather with providing insight into how to unravel for ourselves life’s confusing inconsistencies.”

Michael Card

“A Wilderness of Mirrors is a book that reads like a crime novel. Comprised of fast-turning pages and thorough research into the subject matter, it is a clear and accessible presentation of the argument. Mark Meynell’s book comes as a welcome and needed contribution to the discourse about trust and trustworthiness as essential ingredients for the flourishing of society.”

Dr. Kosta Milkov