Here you will find information about academic discussion of polygamy both on the internet and in print. This therefore contains links and Book Reviews listed in the style of a Bibliography, to give you a starting point for your own research.
Where possible, books which are available at Amazon.com have a direct link should you wish to purchase them.
Please note that items of purely legal interest are dealt with in the Legal section of this site, and that issues concerning the Bible and the Christian faith are dealt with in the Christian section.
Recommended Reading
Butt S J, Inside Christian Polygamy and the Patriarchal Christian Movement (2000); Circleville, Utah: Bfree Publishing – collection of articles by modern Christian polygamist.
Cairncross J, After Polygamy Was Made a Sin. The Social History of Christian Polygamy (1974) London: Routledge & Kegan Paul – *See here for an extended review* of this excellent book.
Chapman S A, Polygamy, Bigamy and Human Rights Law (2001) Xlibris.com – This book concentrates on the development of the English criminal and civil law related to plural marriage, and the consequences of the Human Rights Act for polygamists in the United Kingdom, especially in the light of developing social conditions. The book has been cited in international research on polygamy, and referred to in the British Columbia Supreme Court in the 2010-11 Polygamy Reference Case in Canada, where the book was entered into evidence as an exhibit and relied upon both by those arguing for decriminalisation of polygamy, and those seeking to maintain polygamy as a criminal offence. Now available on the Amazon Kindle at Polygamy, Bigamy and Human Rights Law or Buy direct from the publishers.
Hays J. Daniel, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at Ouachita Baptist University, has written a number of articles, including the following online:-Moses: The Private Man Behind the Public Leader and Did Moses Marry a Cushite? Early Traditions Suggest He Did. – supporting the view that Moses married two different women and that it is likely there was a time when he was married to both, and therefore polygamous.
Hillman E, Polygamy Reconsidered – African Plural Marriage and the Christian Churches (1975) New York: Orbis – Roman Catholic Doctrine reviewed and challenged by Roman Catholic priest. Buy From Amazon! *See this extensive review.*
Hitchens R J, Multiple Marriage: A Study of Polygamy in the Light of the Bible (1987) Maryland: Doulos Publishers – Anti-polygamy view from Christian Pastor – Buy from Amazon – *See this extensive Review and Reply*
Miller L, John Milton among the Polygamophiles (1974) New York: Leowenthal Press – excellent treatment of Milton with copious and highly informative notes.
Milton J, De Doctrina Christiana (1825) – This was unpublished during Milton’s lifetime but translated almost 150 years later on the orders of King William IV by his librarian, Charles Sumner, and published by the Cambridge University Press as “A Treatise on Christian Doctrine”. For this reason the text is missing from many editions of Milton’s Complete Works, but the parts pertaining to polygamy are available *HERE*
Ryerson B, “Religious Freedom, Polygamy and the Law” – Good review of some US law, available online
Van Wagoner R, Mormon Polygamy, A History (1989) Utah: Signature Books – excellent treatment of the history of polygamy, as practiced by Mormons
Economics
Prof. David Friedman on why polygamy benefits women
Prof. T.C. Bergstrom on why polygamy increases women’s “value” – requires Adobe Acrobat Reader
Other Religious Polygamy Links
Miscellaneous
State Statutes Affecting Polygamy
Site including relevant Utah Laws
Mormon History, Polygamy and the Law Iinformation on the current legal status of polygamy in the US.
http://indegayforum.org/articles/corvino59.html (some of the opposition to using “gay rights” to argue for “poly rights”)
http://indegayforum.org/articles/boaz2.html (an interesting suggestion that marriage should be privatised)
Polygamy Reference Material
Andrews J A, “A Licence for Bigamy?”; [1963] Crim. L.R. 261 – Commentary on English court decisions
| Altman I & Ginat J, Polygamous Families in Contemporary Society (1996) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press | Professor Irwin Altman and Professor Joseph Ginat, a psychologist and an anthropologist, join up in a study of some polygamous Mormon groups in 1990’s Utah. |
Badawi JA, Polygamy in Islamic Law (undated); American Trust Publications – Pamphlet in Islamic views
Bartholomew G, “Polygamous Marriages and English Criminal Law”; (1954) 17 MLR 344 – Commentary on English court decisions
Becker G, Treatise on the Family (1981) Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press – Economic Text including comments on polygamy
| Bennion J, Women of Principle: Female Networking in Contemporary Mormon Polygyny (1998) Oxford: Oxford University Press |  Buy From Amazon |
An Assistant Professor of Anthropology from the University of Maine looks in detail at one Mormon fundamentalist community over a number of years. |
Bergstrom T C, On the Economics of Polygamy(1994)Chicago: University of Michigan; Available Online in Adobe Acrobat Format
| Blake A, Women can win the Marriage Lottery |  Buy From Amazon! |
Click here for REVIEW |
Bradley M S, Kidnapped from that Land: The Government Raids on the Short Creek Polygamists (1993) Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press
Bretschneider P, Polygyny: A Cross-Cultural Study (1995) Stockholm: Uppsala University Press – The Swedish Anthropologist does a lot of hard sums for 186 historical polygamous societies.Buy From Amazon
Burke J, “Muslim fights to make three wives legal”; The Observer newspaper, London; 20 February 2000, available online
Butt S J, Inside Christian Polygamy and the Patriarchal Christian Movement (2000); Circleville, Utah: Bfree Publishing – collection of articles by modern Christian polygamist
Cairncross J, After Polygamy Was Made a Sin. The Social History of Christian Polygamy (1974) London: Routledge & Kegan Paul – *See here for an extended review* of this excellent book.
Chambers D L, “Polygamy and Same Sex Marriage”; Hofstra Law Review, 26(1) available online
Chapman A, Man-sharing: Dilemma or Choice (1986) New York; William Marrow and Company – Family Therapist Audrey Chapman explores the benefits of polygamy for modern American women. Buy From Amazon!
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Chapman S A, Polygamy, Bigamy and Human Rights Law (2001) Xlibris.com |
Now available on the Amazon Kindle at Polygamy, Bigamy and Human Rights Law or |
This book concentrates on the development of the English criminal and civil law related to plural marriage, and the consequences of the Human Rights Act for polygamists in the United Kingdom, especially in the light of developing social conditions. Includes the text of relevant legislation such as the Bigamy Act of King James. |
Cox D T, The Law as a Mediator of Identity Conflicts; unpublished; formerly available online; any new address would be appreciated.
Foster B, Foster M & Hadady L, Three in Love: Menages a trois from ancient to modern times (1997) San Francisco; Harper – Hardback – Out-of-print |
Buy Paperback From Amazon |
A modern menage-a-trois look at similar relationships in history and literature.You can now browse the republished paperback online. |
Forbes S, “Why Just Have One?”: An Evaluation of the Anti-Polygamy Laws under the Establishment Clause (2003) 39(5) Houston Law Review 1517
Friedman D, Hidden Order (1996) New York: HarperBusiness – includes a short section on the economics of polygamy
Friedman D, Ch. 21 “The Economics of Love and Marriage”, in Friedman D, Price Theory: An Intermediate Text (1990) South-Western; available online, includes a short section on the economics of polygamy
Hall J C, “Common Law Marriage”; (1987) 46(1) Cambridge Law Journal 106 – Comments on English Law related to Common Law Marriage
Hardy B C, Solemn Covenant: The Mormon Polygamous Passage (1992) Chicago: University of Illinois Press – A serious treatment of the inception and inspiration for Mormon Polygamy. Buy From Amazon
Harmer-Dionne E, “Once a peculiar people: Cognitive dissonance and the suppression of Mormon polygamy as a case study negating the belief-action distinction.” (1998) 50 Stanford Law Review 1193 – Argues against the belief-action distinction to show that US Supreme Court decisions interfered not only with actions but led to a change in religious belief
Hart H L A, Law, Liberty and Morality (1963) London: Oxford University Press – Comments on English law
Hartley T C, “Polygamy and Social Policy” (1969) 32 MLR 155 – Comments on English law
Hartley T C, “The Policy Basis of the English Conflict of Laws of Marriage.” (1972) 35 MLR 571 – Commentary on English court decisions
Hays J. Daniel, Moses: The Private Man Behind the Public Leader and Did Moses Marry a Cushite? Early Traditions Suggest He Did. – supporting the view that Moses married two different women and that it is likely there was a time when he was married to both, and therefore polygamous.
Hillman E, Polygamy Reconsidered – African Plural Marriage and the Christian Churches (1975) New York: Orbis – Roman Catholic Doctrine reviewed and challenged by Roman Catholic priest. Buy From Amazon! *See this extensive review.*
Hitchens R J, Multiple Marriage: A Study of Polygamy in the Light of the Bible (1987) Maryland: Doulos Publishers – Anti-polygamy view from Christian Pastor – Buy from Amazon – *See this extensive Review and Reply*
Hughes J, Monogamy as a Prisoners Dilemma (1992) University of Connecticut: Unpublished, but available online
| Kilbride P, Plural Marriage for our times – A reinvented option (1994) Westport, Connecticut; Bergin & Garvey |  Buy From Amazon |
The Bryn Mawr College Anthropologist looks at polygamy from a modern secular perspective. |
Kraut O, Polygamy in the Bible (1983) Utah; Pioneer Press – Fundamentalist Mormon view of Biblical Texts
Law Commission, Family Law Report on Polygamous Marriages (1971) No. 42: HMSO – Comments on English law – out-of-date
Law Commission & Scottish Law Commission, Private International Law. Polygamous Marriages. Capacity to contract a polygamous marriage and related issues (1985) (Law Com. No. 146) (Scot. Law Com. No. 96): HMSO – Comments on English law – out-of-date
Leslie R D, “Polygamous Marriages and Bigamy”; (1972) 17 Juridicial Review 113- Comments on English law
Lucas P, “Common Law Marriage”; (1990) 49(1) Cambridge Law Journal 117 – Comments on English law
Madan M, Thelyphthora (1780) London: J Dodsley – 18th Century Methodist minister gives 1,200 pages of thoughts about how incorrect church teaching on polygamy and related matters have been developed and have led to the ruination of women.
Maillu D G, Our Kind of Polygamy (1988) Nairobi: Heinemann Kenya – An African man discusses polygamy in Africa today. Buy From Amazon
Malik Zubeida, “Polygamy law set for challenge”; BBC News Online; 18 June 2000; available online
Miller L, John Milton among the Polygamophiles (1974) New York: Leowenthal Press – excellent treatment of Milton with copious and highly informative notes.
Milton J, De Doctrina Christiana (1825) – This was unpublished during Milton’s lifetime but translated almost 150 years later on the orders of King William IV by his librarian, Charles Sumner, and published by the Cambridge University Press as “A Treatise on Christian Doctrine”. For this reason the text is missing from many editions of Milton’s Complete Works, but the parts pertaining to polygamy are available *HERE*
Morse C G J, “Polygamists and the Crime of Bigamy”; (1976) 25 ICLQ 229 – Comments on English law
Parker S, Informal Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law, 1750-1989 (1990) London; Macmillan – Comments on English law
Pearl D, A textbook on Muslim Law (1979) London: Croon Holn – Law in various Islamic countries – some comments may now be out-of date
Pearl D, Family Law and the immigrant communities (1986) Bristol: Family Law – Comments on English law
Polonksy M, “Polygamous Marriage: A Bigamist’s Charter?”; [1971] Crim. L.R. 401 – Comments on English law
Potter R, I Wed Three Wives: The polygamy story of Royston Potter (1996) Utah; Pioneer Press – experiences of a Utah police officer discovered to be a polygamist
Poulter S, “Hyde v. Hyde – A reappraisal”; (1976) 25 ICLQ 475 – Comments on English law
Poulter S, English Law and Ethnic Minority Customs (1986) London: Butterworths – Comments on English law
Poulter S, “Ethnic Minority Customs, English Law and Human Rights”; (1987) 36 ICLQ 589 – Comments on English law
Poulter S, “African Customs in an English Setting”; Journal of African Law; 31 [1988] 207 – Comments on English law
Poulter S, “A Separate System of Personal Law for British Muslims?” in Mallat, C and Connors, J (eds.) Islamic Family Law (1990) London: Graham and Trotman – Comments on English law
Poulter S, Ethnicity, Law and Human Rights: The English Experience (1998) Oxford: Clarendon – Comments on English law
Ryerson B, “Religious Freedom, Polygamy and the Law” – Good review of some US law, available online
Soothill K, Ackerley E, Sanderson B & Peelo M, “The place of bigamy in the pantheon of crime?” Med. Sci. Law (1999) 39 (1) 65 – Lancaster University academics arguing that the profile of bigamy offenders and the treatment of the courts show that Bigamy, if it is to continue as a crime, should be classified in England as a deception offence, and not as a sexual offence, as it is currently for statistical purposes.
Van Wagoner R, Mormon Polygamy, A History (1989) Utah: Signature Books – excellent treatment of the history of polygamy, as practiced by Mormons
Vogel U, “Political Philosophers and the trouble with Polygamy”; The History of Political Thought Volume XII (2) 1991, p229 – Manchester University academic provides an analysis of centuries of arguments by legal, religious and secular philosophers
Williams G, “Language and the Law” (1945) 61 LQR 71 at 76-8 – Comments on English law
Williams G, “Bigamy and the Third Marriage”; (1950) 13 MLR 417 – Comments on English law
Williams G, “Venue and the ambit of Criminal Law”; (1965) 81 LQR 395 at 402-4 – Comments on English law
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