Plural Marriage for Our Times: A Reinvented Option? (Paperback)

by Philip L. Kilbride (Author) "Upon my return to Pennsylvania from a one-year sabbatical in the Los Angeles area in fall 1992, many of my friends asked me whether life..." (more)
Key Phrases: plural marriage, fundamentalist community, elder wife, United States, African Americans, Colorado City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“The title of this book summarizes its contents. After briefly surveying several kinds of polygamy (polygyny, polyandry, group marriage) in various cultures, historical epochs, and religions, Kilbride asks if some versions of plural marriage might be viable in our time. A short, well-balanced, thoughtful primer for readers of all levels.”–Choice --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Polygyny, or one man having several wives, is the preferred marriage pattern in most parts of the nonwestern world although most men cannot afford more than one wife. Polyandry, in which one woman has more than one husband, is quite rare in its classic form. Various types of plural marriage such as these are surfacing in western countries as viable alternatives and positive options to economic and spiritual crisis. Kilbride explores these new varieties of "family" as he finds them in the United States among Mormons, African-Americans, and New Age spiritual communes. His comparisons with European and African practices shed light on the renewed possibility of security and caregiving for our dependent generation who are at risk and who are suffering from fractured family relationships around the globe.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 139 pages
• Publisher: Bergin & Garvey (October 30, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897893158
• ISBN-13: 978-0897893152
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,216,935 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking, January 18, 2001

By	James R. Fleckenstein "navalgamer" (Herndon, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dr. Kilbride's well-researched analysis of the practice of plural marriage is an important step toward rethinking our outlook on how people are "supposed to" relate. His extensive background in polygamy as it is practiced in African cultures is both an asset and a liability, unfortunately. By focussing too greatly on the African experience, he lessens the value of his work to Western readers. His personal ambivalence shows through at times, too, especially in the mildness of his "advocacy" near the end. Still, he looks at this "taboo" approach to relating from the sociological, biological, and ethical/religious views, and helps knock down some of the preconceived notions about the "preeminence" of monogamy.

Despite Dr. Kilbride's "circumspection" in his recommendations, this book is well worth reading for both the academic and general public with an interest in alternatives to conventional monogamy in response to the dramatically changed social, political, and economic circumstances of the 21st century.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provocative and enlightening, February 8, 2008

By	Serena Nanda "bookworm" (new york, new york) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Kilbride's book is both interesting and provocative. In the best anthropological fashion, Kilbride uses an examination of cultural patterns in other societies to get us to think more profoundly and objectively about our own society. He has to be admired for taking on a very tough issue, polygamy, or plural wives, something most Americans have a definitely negative attitude toward. That's partly why Kilbride wrote the book, to get people to rethink not just polygamy, but what the insistence on monogamy, with its 50% divorce rate, is doing to American children. Challenge yourself: meet Kilbride's arguments with rational rebuttal. The book is not over long and would be a great read in a wide range of social science classes.