Overview
For more than 2,500 years, the Western tradition has embraced monogamous marriage as an essential institution for the flourishing of men and women, parents and children, society and the state. At the same time, polygamy has been considered a serious crime that harms wives and children, correlates with sundry other crimes and abuses, and threatens good citizenship and political stability. The West has thus long punished all manner of plural marriages and denounced the polygamous teachings of selected Jews, Muslims, Anabaptists, Mormons, and others. John Witte, Jr carefully documents the Western case for monogamy over polygamy from antiquity until today. He analyzes the historical claims that polygamy is biblical, natural, and useful alongside modern claims that anti-polygamy laws violate personal and religious freedom. While giving the pro and con arguments a full hearing, Witte concludes that the Western historical case against polygamy remains compelling and urges Western nations to hold the line on monogamy.
Full Product Details
Author: John Witte, Jr (Emory University, Atlanta)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 3.00cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.860kg
ISBN: 9781107101593
ISBN 10: 110710159
Pages: 550
Publication Date: 05 May 2015
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
'By providing such an outstanding survey of the historical arguments against polygamy, Witte makes a convincing argument that at present, the focus on harms and rights in contemporary legal and constitutional discourse (not religious beliefs or practices) is likely to keep polygamy at bay in the United States for some time to come. This is essential reading for understanding debates about marriage, religion, and state interests.' A. G. Roeber, Journal of Church and State
'By providing such an outstanding survey of the historical arguments against polygamy, Witte makes a convincing argument that at present, the focus on harms and rights in contemporary legal and constitutional discourse (not religious beliefs or practices) is likely to keep polygamy at bay in the United States for some time to come. This is essential reading for understanding debates about marriage, religion, and state interests.' A. G. Roeber, Journal of Church and State 'By providing such an outstanding survey of the historical arguments against polygamy, Witte makes a convincing argument that at present, the focus on harms and rights in contemporary legal and constitutional discourse (not religious beliefs or practices) is likely to keep polygamy at bay in the United States for some time to come. This is essential reading for understanding debates about marriage, religion, and state interests.' A. G. Roeber, Journal of Church and State
Author Information
John Witte, Jr is Robert W. Woodruff University Professor and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University, Atlanta. A world authority in legal history, he has directed twelve major international projects on democracy, human rights, religious liberty, marriage, family, and children. He has lectured throughout the world and published twenty-seven books, including, recently, Christianity and Human Rights: An Introduction (Cambridge, 2010) and The Sins of the Fathers: The Law and Theology of Illegitimacy Reconsidered (Cambridge, 2009).
