Polygamy's Rights and Wrongs: Perspectives on Harm, Family, and Law

Assumptions about the harmful nature of polygamy have left little room for debate, with monogamy coming to represent a hallmark of advanced societies, and polygamy the immoral alternative. Yet in this volume, eleven scholars ask whether this condemnation is justified by examining, among other perspectives, the lived experiences of polygamous families. In essays that fearlessly face difficult questions of choice, dignity, and love, the authors seek to complicate a conversation that is more often simplified. Thoughtful and persuasive, Polygamy’s Rights and Wrongs is both a close consideration of polygamy and a challenging reflection on the ways in which we value family and intimacy.

Gillian Calder is associate professor in the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law. Lori G. Beaman is the Canada Research Chair in the Contextualization of Religion in a Diverse Canada and professor of classics and religious studies at the University of Ottawa.