After Polygamy Was Made a Sin
By John Cairncross
The social history of Christian polygamy.
Western society usually associates the taking of multiple wives with the Muslim world, and with the South Sea Islands. But John Cairncross contends, in this fascinating historical analysis, that it was only when the Church became centred in Rome that polygamy became a ‘sin’. He shows that in fact there was a strong underground polygamous tradition in early Christian Europe, from around 1525 to 1800, which was persecuted and finally stamped out by Rome. Based on rigorous examination of texts from this era, both for and against polygamy, this study gives a remarkable insight into moral/sexual attitudes, and particularly the status of women, at the time.
Cairncross first relates the antics and amours of a community resident in what is now Germany, the Munster Anabaptists, giving a detailed and engaging account of how they managed to actually maintain a polygamous society during the sixteenth century. He then moves on to America, and shows how the practise resurfaced with the establishment of the Mormon Church.
John Cairncross was a brilliant scholar who was long suspected of being the ‘fifth man’ in the notorious Cambridge spy ring in 1940s Britain. Having fled the UK, he took up academic posts in the US and then Italy. This excellent study shows his gift for meticulous research together with his witty take on human nature, and is a valuable addition to the history of polygamy in Western culture.
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