Men in Black Dresses: A Quest for the Future Among Wisdom-Makers of the Middle East

Cultural historian Yvonne Seng's first encounter with men in black dresses was on the Nile train as it chugged through Egypt. She was a young woman then, facing a divorce or suicide--she wasn’t sure which. And that's why the barren desert of Upper Egypt called to her. The dangerous pilgrimage through a harsh oasis would test her will to survive. As fate would have it, she met Nuweiba on the train--the esteemed Catholic Coptic Bishop of Asyout and Upper Egypt and the first of many holy men who would radically influence her destiny. As she spoke with this humble spiritual leader, he confessed that he was dying. "Promise me you will return one day," he asked Seng. "Then you will see the future." Seng agreed, but it took 15 years to deliver her promise. "Instead I tried to climb the greased ladder of academia and pretended to forget the promise." One night the dying man's request returned to her--forcing her to sit upright in bed and immediately plan her return pilgrimage. This time she would meet with the holy men of the Middle East and ask them to speak to the future. Her adventurous memoir takes us into the private chambers of a grand Muslim sheikh, into darkened churches, ancient monasteries, and modern apartments as she meets with the religious visionaries of the Middle East. The men in black dresses speak about global concerns--pornography on the Internet, disrespect toward elders and children, the disturbing spread of McDonald's culture, and the possibility of miracles. This is an outstanding armchair pilgrimage, filled with vivid "being there" scenes as well as lasting insight. Seng manages to unite vastly different religions, histories and cultures through their common spiritual ambitions. --Gail Hudson