Polygyny: A Study of Religious Fundamentalism

Abstract

Since the beginning of time, humanity has practiced companionship in varying forms. In the past decades, however, one form has received widespread negative attention. Polygamy—or polygyny—as it means to have one male with multiple female spouses, has become synonymous with many religious extremist groups in the world. In the United States, the mainstream Mormon Church has long tried to distance itself from it’s polygynous past, while fringe, fundamentalist Mormons today still practice polygyny. And, 7,000 miles away from the deserts of Utah, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has practiced a highly publicized—and brutal—form of polygyny, oftentimes recruiting minors or kidnapping future brides. This thesis aims to understand the historical implications of polygyny and how it has been warped as a tool of control by fundamentalist movements. In the case of both Mormon fundamentalism and Muslim fundamentalism, practitioners are working towards a common goal of restoring the “true Church” or the Caliphate, respectively. In each case, polygyny is viewed as an essential part of restorationism. Without polygyny, the Church would not be fully true, and the Caliphate would not be completely pure. In contrast to historical motivations behind polygyny, such as ensuring survival, polygyny today has become a weapon of some of the most extreme religious groups in the world to restore the holy times of their prophets.