Morality: The Case for Polygamy

Should Christianity permit polygamy? Under certain conditions, yes, argues a Roman Catholic missionary in Africa. In the latest issue of Concilium, an international theological review, Massachusetts-born Father Eugene Hillman contends that Christianity's rejection of polygamy in countries where the practice is traditional is socially disruptive and morally questionable.

A missionary for 16 years in Tanzania, Father Hillman points out that in much of the underdeveloped world there is a shortage of men willing and able to take on families. Polygamy thus provides the only hope of marriage for many women. "In such...