Polygamy : a very short introduction / Sarah M.S. Pearsall.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pearsall, Sarah M. S., author.

Series:

Very short introductions ; 697.

Very short introduction ; 697

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Polygamy--History.

Polygamy.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

141 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2022]

Summary:

"This VSI offers a broad global and temporal history of polygamy and its importance in a range of settings. Polygamy, or plural marriage, has been an accepted form of union in the majority of human societies. People living on every continent have practiced this form of marriage; some still do. Plural marriages, just as more recent same-sex marriages, offer intriguing access to the workings of the institution of marriage, as well as the controversies linking public and private, sex and politics, that have surrounded it. Confrontations over this type of marriage have also been historically important, especially in a range of colonial, imperial, and missionary encounters. Polygamy has come to symbolize a problematic, even "barbaric," form of marriage. Yet, even amid Christians, it has had notable defenders, including a number of radical Protestants such as Martin Luther, John Milton, and of course Joseph Smith. This book illuminates the public importance of the intimate, considering issues of cultural contact and confrontation, the shape of empires, slavery and hierarchy, royal and aristocratic power, religion and conflict, war and expansion, race and nation"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction

Origins and overview

Monotheism

Early modern encounters

Protestantism

Mormonism

Modern encounters

Contemporary debates.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780197533178

0197533175

OCLC:

1241732566